Shadows of the Reapers
by locke2564
Summary: The SDF-3 has made an emergency folding that led it to the Mass Effect universe. As the Robotech defenders explore this new reality, they re about to uncover the secret of a terrible enemy that lies in waiting to destroy both universes... Reformating the story, at a pace of a chapter each four days.
1. Prologue: Unexpected Visitors

**Robotech **and their characters are properties of **Harmony Gold USA Inc.**, **Mass Effect** and their characters are properties of **Bioware**. There´s no economic remuneration gained from this story.

* * *

_**Shadows of the Reapers**_

_**By locke2564**_

Si deseas leer esta misma historia en idioma español, por favor checa: **"Sombras de los Segadores"**, en el mismo apartado **Crossovers: Robotech-Mass Effect.**

A.N.: This story takes place after Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles. For Mass Effect the story starts after Virmire...

For the sake of easy comprehension, my text format goes like this:

"This is dialogue" (guess i don´t need to explain that much.)

-"[This is radio or comms banter]"-

_This are characters´ thoughts._

I used to highlight some lines i thougth relevant, by using italics. However, that won't happen anymore

Thanks to Relvain Jenafuse for the tip.

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_**Prologue:**_

_**Unexpected Visitors**_

Locke Shepard stood frozen, tightly holding the railing that bordered along the east corridor. Several meters behind was the inner elevator connecting the west battlements with the interior backyard, and a troubled Kaidan Alenko, who desperately fought to protect a disassembled mass effect core, rigged to operate as a twenty-kiloton tactical nuclear warhead, from a big group of ill-fatedly appeared synthetic enemies.

The west artillery tower in front of him, where the handful of operatives of the Salarian Special Tasks Group was entrenched, fighting, was in turn surrounded by a strong group of mortal Geth soldiers. And there, battling shoulder to shoulder with the aliens, was the woman whom he would´ve liked to know otherwise.

Ashley Williams, who had no love lost for the aliens, had taken with great -and rare- calmness, the fact that the Commander had ordered her to cooperate with them. All of it with the intention of destroying the cloning facilities of the Turian Saren Arterius on the planet Virmire.

Shepard now struggled with his bowels, having to make the most difficult decision his long and eventful military career had submitted. Saving who was turning out to be the love of his life, or saving his good friend.

In the Skylian Blitz, decisions were not that difficult. He had to risk his own life until the end if necessary, in order to save human lives. The Batarians were not great soldiers but, like most of the groups of the Terminus Systems, were numerous and well armed. Locke held out, firing all weapons at his disposal, not presenting an easy target, leading his enemies to uncertain terrain in which they lost their advantage in numbers and arms, making every shot count. He even got the luxury of downing two or three transport ships with well-aimed shots from the ML-77 rocket launchers he found!.

Yes... the attack on Elysium had been easy compared to this. Now, as the first -and most recently appointed- human officer of the SPECial Tactics and REconnaisance corp, the brunt of the expectations of the entire galaxy -including their fellow humans-, had fallen on him. He knew that hunting the renegade "Specter" Saren, involved difficult decisions, but he never realized what such drastic decisions would amount, until he was "crossing that bridge", the moment weighing his conscience down.

While struggling with this difficult choice, he could hear the hopeless voices of Ashley and Kaidan, both of them trying to get the Commander to select the other.

_Damned idiots both of them!..._

He resented the resignation and "good soldier" attitude of Alenko, but the desire for martyrdom and redemption of Williams also did pull out the worst of him. He hated them both for a few seconds, his mind moving a mile a minute, trying to evaluate all possible considerations.

_I have to make a final choice between two people on my team and I don´t want to discriminate any._

"Commander, time is running out..."

The deep reverberating voice of Garrus Vakarian got him out of his reverie. The Turian had joined them while they were at the Citadel, the space station where political power resided in the galaxy. He was part of C-Sec, -the police force of the Citadel-. And he had been chosen to investigate and unmask the renegade Saren as the traitor he was. But politics and red tape, both characteristics of the corporation, had disappointed him to the point where, being young and still impressionable, he had decided to join the Specter party to escape the low expectations of his work.

"Damn it!. Hurry Shepard!. I don´t want to become dust along the last hope of my people!"

The one speaking was Wrex Urdnot, a mercenary and Krogan Battlemaster that had helped them force their way into one of the seedy bars of the Wards, up in the Citadel, while hunting for Saren. Wrex was an uber-developed, lizard-like humanoid, standing more than two meters tall, with a scaly strong and massive body structure, whose top was a huge hump. He was notoriously difficult to kill. He had seen the miserable get a rocket to his body and rise up as if nothing, returning fire with the monster of shotgun he always carried!.

The Krogan, his people, were sapient creatures coming from an extremely hostile planet called Tuchanka. Their physiology had evolved in a manner consistent with the many threats from their environment. Such was its success, evolutionarily speaking, that when the Council races found them, they were given weapons and technologies, and the Galactic Council used them as soldiers in a war against an implacable enemy that devastated the galaxy two hundred years ago. After the conflict, the Krogan leaders turned to see the possibilities of wealth the stars offered, and decided to rebel. All of the Council races united against them and yet they would have been all annihilated, had the militarist Turians not appeared on stage.

With the fall came the "Genophage", a lab-specifically-designed disease, to alter Krogan fertility and maintain control over their population. This led to the subsequent decline of their race. The Krogans are now divided, reduced to primitive clans and tribes, which sell themselves to the highest bidder, as mercenaries or bodyguards.

Hopes of rising again from their own ashes are long gone…

"Watch your tongue, "bare-faced" Krogan!."Garrus turned abruptly toward the big lizard, which was at least twenty centimeters taller.

"Or what, scaly boy scout. You going to kill me?."The lizard approached him in defiant pose, brandishing his massive Sokolov shotgun. Both aliens raised their weapons, pointing at each other, oblivious to the human.

No wonder the tone of Wrex was resentful. Saren had developed a cure for the Genophage in those very laboratories they were about to destroy. The Commander had to draw on all his persuasion and charm to calm the giant lizard, and make him see how necessary it was to destroy such cure. The consequences of not doing so would have been disastrous for the morale of the squad.

_Hell!. Consequences were already catastrophic without the need to shoot themselves to death..._

He had tried to circumvent that decision, knowing that he was walking on a tightrope. And now the rope was unraveling at the weakest end. He couldn´t remain passive for another second.

"Stop it you two!, Wrex!, Garrus!, Lay down your weapons now!"

Both aliens turned to see the human, with guilty faces, like children who are surprised by their mother in an improper act. Garrus´dual mandibles twitched a second, reflecting what the Commander had learned to differentiate as a gesture of surprise or nervousness. Even if he didn´t know the grimace, the guilty look on her avian face was more than enough to give him away. That wasn´t true for Wrex however, whose gesture was a real poker face.

"Enough!,"said the tough Specter and then spoke painfully into the microphone of his omni-tool:

"I´m sorry Kaidan... hold on Ashley!, were coming now!"

"[You´re taking the right decision Commander,]"told his fellow soldier via radio, without any bitterness in his voice.

_Why do I feel like I'm not?..._

"Move it you two!," told the aliens, that promptly forgot their quarrel and nodded, starting to run towards the west tower.

* * *

Alenko took cover from a rain of fire and reloaded his weapon one last time. His vision was clouded as a result of the blasts that had penetrated his armor, and his damaged kinetic barrier generator was unable to repel.

The end was coming... he knew it. There was just over two and half minutes left before the detonation took place. He had seen the slim silhouette of the Normandy rise away, escaping the gravity well of Virmire. The Geth still standing, plaguing him, have decided to regroup and approach to finish him off. He could hear their metallic footsteps coming towards. He gritted his teeth and, using his last breath, came out to face his destiny. It was at that very moment, while raising his head, that he realized the course its fate had taken, was something away from the ordinary.

Geth troops were on the floor, smoking holes in their bodies, caused by a large caliber weapon. Their visual sensors were off and the only thing left standing in this scene of destruction was the figure of a girl, clad in what seemed the strangest battle armor, in blue, magenta and black. It didn´t look like something the Alliance would manufacture. It had no helmet, and he couldn´t detect an omni-tool:

_Heck!, it looks more like a low-cut leotard an exotic dancer from the Terminus Systems would wear, than a standard battle suit!._

A limp, magenta-red hair that matched her dress, adorned her head. Her large brown eyes revealing an undoubtedly profound sadness. Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him, but if he was dead and the scene was the result of his death throes, he told himself it was a very nice view.

He crouched on one knee while the woman approached him. His vision was clouding more and more. Soon he would not be able to see or retain consciousness...

"Are you okay?," asked the young woman. In her hand, he glimpsed some sort of weapon whose design seemed unknown to him. Alenko only smiled bitterly and pointed to the improvised bomb whose time was still running. She moved quickly and glanced at the contraption. It didn´t take a genius to know what it meant...

Without wasting any time, the woman made a concentrated mental effort and contacted his friend, a tall, medium-built, handsome man, waiting hidden in one of the nearby cliffs.

"Scott: Warm up the engines!. We have to leave here in a hurry!"

"What´s going on, Ariel?," the man's voice sounded worried.

"I'll explain once I get there".

The woman advanced and grabbed Lieutenant Alenko by his arm. Kaidan didn´t try to resist. He wasn´t even conscious. The young girl made a gesture of concentration and a flash of light emerged from her, enveloping her shapely silhouette. Another gesture and the light expanded, encompassing her and the dying soldier. Suddenly both faded in the light and it disappeared, leaving behind the steep inner courtyard of the doomed fortress.

A few seconds later they both appeared on the beach, right at the entrance to the rocky outcrop in which her ship was hidden. It was a fighter jet painted bright blue with white details on the wings and fuselage. In addition to its sheer size of nearly ten meters long, stood another attached extension, which looked like a huge brick with turbines, coupled with the fighter. The engine was running now. While they were approaching, a ramp came out of the back. A man ran towards her, wearing what looked like a light aquamarine armor. The round helmet visor was up and allowed a glimpse of the masculine traits of the wearer.

"What's the rush?." Scott asked, as he helped her put the human soldier inside the ship.

"There's a bomb planted in the building up there!. By the looks of it, its a powerful one. We have less than a minute to leave!." The woman's voice betrayed a hint of fear.

"Just what I needed to make may day!." The soldier spoke with a mix of ardor and sarcasm, as he closed the back door of the Beta fighter and made a run for the Alpha cockpit, covering the twenty meters of the ship in few strides. Made a big jump and took position in the command chair. A movement of the flight stick and the ship began to ascent vertically, while the canopy lowered and adjusted, the thrust vectoring control elevating the engine off the ground.

Scott pulled the lever forward, applying full power and the Alpha veritech took breakneck speed. Meanwhile, Ariel secured the injured lieutenant on one of the seats, to avoid a crash because of sudden acceleration. She checked his pulse: There it was, still weak but present.

The pilot moved the throttle to steep up the climb and felt the pressure on the ship increasing violently, mercilessly pounding his body. The he saw a flash and roaring sound came. Violent turbulence shook the nimble fighter. The soldier struggled with the various buttons and switches, increasing the turbines power and making sure to keep the aircraft in the air, while his companion and their guest remained secured to the chairs. A minute later the blue sky seen from the cabin disappeared, giving way to the blackness of space.

Once the sense of danger was gone, the man slumped in his seat for a moment. On the back, the girl went to the on board medical kit and grabbed a shot of epinephrine, administering it to the wounded man´s heart. The thick needle pierced the strong suit of polymers and the substance entered his heart almost imperceptibly. Afterwards she checked his vitals again and found that his heartbeats were significantly more noticeable.

A message on the radio interrupted the musings of both youngsters.

"[Vigilant one!, Vigilant one!. This is Ark Angel calling, do you copy?]." The voice of the woman speaking, sounded worried.

Scott let out a smile and opened the video-communications channel, commenting on slowly:

"Vigilant one here. Come in, Ark Angel." The image of Maggie, the usual flight controller of the Archangel, short hair, small glasses and flirty features, was hastily replaced by the sight of a man of strong black features, deep eyes, black hair with a definite military haircut. Captain Vincent Grant had decided to make the inquiries himself.

"[Commander Bernard, we detected a nuclear detonation in the beta sector of the planet, almost in the center of the area of operations, care to explain?]."The soldier's voice echoed through the audio system of the small ship.

"I'm afraid my information is limited Captain..." Scott said turning to see the image of the back cameras, to the attractive redhead who was his companion, with a look of mild reproach. On a gesture of her, he added:

"However it is best to prepare a medical unit for..." A white flash behind him stopped him. The girl and the other soldier had disappeared.

"[Ariel is already on the bridge, Lt. Commander Bernard, why didn´t you tell me we had a dinner guest?]." The deep voice on the comm seemed condescending, even friendly, despite the unnecessary reminder of its range:

"[Move him to Emergencies, on the Medical Deck, double time!],"ordered the officer, then turned to see him again:

"[Your Invid friend never ceases to amaze me...]"

"Your feelings are shared, Captain,"said the young soldier with a smile:

"This "guest" of ours looks like part of a militia of this universe, so it is very likely that he can provide us valuable intelligence about where we are and what is transpiring here. That, provided he lives to tell..." Scott said while some messages displayed on the screen of the ship.

[We'll make sure of it. Ark Angel out!]." Communications were cut, ending the message.

Scott Bernard relaxed for a few minutes and looked to the stars around him. He missed a moment in the pale glow of the lights and then sighed, pondering how the events of a few days ago had transpired so fast: The Invid leaving Earth for someplace lost in the galaxy or maybe even farther, taking all forms of protoculture with them. The betrayal of their Haydonite allies and the first victory against them, at the expense of destroying Space Station Liberty.

And then the trip across that dimensional bridge...

He was concerned the Robotech Expeditionary Force would be entering into possible hostile territory, without a minimum of intelligence gathered beforehand.

That meant risking another senseless war for humanity. But Admiral Hunter was lost, along with the protoculture matrix on board the SDF-3. The Haydonites were not going to wait for the defense forces of the Earth to be ready for a new attack...

If it was necessary to stir a new nest of insects to find the old officer and his ship...

Scott had already acquired much experience, throwing stones at the hornets´ hives.

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Okay. There is the prologue. Please leave your reviews. I ain't gonna bite you!.


	2. One: Errant Knights

**Robotech **and their characters are properties of **Harmony Gold USA Inc.**, **Mass Effect** and their characters are properties of **Bioware**. There´s no economic remuneration gained from this story.

* * *

Si deseas leer esta misma historia en idioma español, por favor checa: **"Sombras de los Segadores"**, en el mismo apartado **Crossovers: Robotech-Mass Effect.**

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_**Chapter One:**_

_**Errant Knights**_

**Planet Trebin,**

Antaeus System, Hades Gamma Cluster (previously Crab Nebula)

Terminus Systems

The freighter ship MSV Destiny floated in orbit of the arid fourth planet from the Antaeus system. The argent square silhouette of the Kowloon-class vessel, whose lizard-headed cockpit stood highlighted out of the transport as a whole, contrasted with the black background of the dimly lit space. Its mission was to rescue any relevant asset at the planet-side facilities, which remained empty after the disaster.

A frigate of the Alliance, the SSV Normandy, had come to investigate the fate of the research team that the ExoGeni company had sent there. Communications with the listening posts in the other systems on the cluster, had been lost for three days, and that prompted the military presence. The research ship's captain had promised to get "to the bottom of it."

They had done so, literally, with horrific consequences. The ground team had unearthed an ancient technology, which proved harmful. While studying it, the scientists had been converted into aggressive bio-mechanical monstrosities, like the ones rumor has it, attacked Eden Prime. The commanding officer, Commander Shepard, had been forced to dispatch them. At his return from the planet, with great regret he notified the Alliance, which in turn alerted the parent company.

ExoGeni commissioned the "Destiny", to retrieve the research data of the terraforming project being done there, and the few bodies which could be identified. They weren't willing to stay anytime more than necessary in that region of space. The thirty-odd crew members were aware that horrible things could happen in the Terminus Systems, being as it was a haven for pirates, smugglers, slavers and xenophobic aliens. The real tragedy had already occurred and they weren't trying to tempt their fate any more than necessary.

Captain Jenny Sparks, the commanding officer of the small vessel, was ready to leave the planet. It had been four standard days since the Normandy had left, and the last of the preparations for departure had been completed five minutes ago. The small, slender redhead, -who would receive a hefty commission for the job-, couldn´t wait to return to the Citadel to spend part of their hard-earned wages on repairing and re-provisioning the ship, and giving well deserved shore time to the crew.

Two years of nonstop travelling between the stars, are capable of altering even the most robust and healthy man...

On the small CIC of the ship, the inernal comms channel came back to life:

"[Captain: This is Senner, from Engineering. We have repaired the damaged zero element ducts of the mass effect core. They should last without problems at least until we get to the Citadel, as long as we don´t force the engine too much. We're ready to go.]"

"Alright Mr. Senner,"said the petite redhead, whose blue eyes were gleaming like a pair of stars:

"Velázquez, what about the surge of Cerenkov rad detected a while ago?"

"I'm still investigating captain, but the interferometry test doesn´t report anything strange. Perhaps is remnant radiation from a distant nova,"said Velazquez, a Latin girl who commanded the communications post at her side. She couldn´t be more than eighteen years, the standard age to work as crew of a ship. She had enlisted with them a month ago, to fulfill the six-month social service protocol from ExoGeni. She really had had too long a month for it.

"Okay, we will report this to the Alliance as soon we get to Citadel space."Sparks opened a communication channel and said aloud to the entire ship:

"To all hands on board: We´re about to begin the journey home. If you lost something planet side or forgot to pack it, too late to retrieve it fellas!. Initiating final automatized check of the systems in five, four, three, two..." ordered.

The rudimentary V. the ship began its verification. One by one the indicators of different departments such as Engineering, Auxiliary, Medical Deck and Storage, displayed green lights on her personal haptic interface. Once the checking finished, the monotonous electronic voice of the ship told her everything was in order.

She closed the comm. channel and turned to the expectant faces of the bridge crew:

"Ensign Nevan: Prepare the FTL drive and in the meantime, get us out of Trebin's orbit. I want to get home before dinner..."

There was laughter all over the bridge.

"FTL drive warming. Two and a half minutes to reach operational status. Enabling sub-light drive..." said Nevan, a white male, blond with slightly equine features.

The mood on the bridge couldn't be any better.

"Contact on passive sensors!," Velazquez shouted, her trimmed black hair, bristling slightly:

"Looks like a medium-size ship. Range: Two thousand and half kilometers and closing in on us at full speed, interception course!".

"Turn on active sensors!. Nevan: Get us away from them!, whether or not hostiles from Terminus, we aren't taking any chances!,"Ordered the petite woman sitting in her command chair and adjusting her belt.

_How did they come so close without us noticing?._

"Velazquez: report!"

"Ladar confirms the outline of a cruiser!, mass accelerator on starboard and eight GARDIAN cannon batteries!. Configuration and silhouette matches a Batarian warship!"

The bridge suddenly turned out as quiet as a cemetery. In Jenny's mind appeared the memories of troops with four eyes in their heads, attacking Elysium and other human colonies. Falling into the hands of Batarian slavers meant a fate worse than death:

"Maximum thrust, Mr. Nevan!", we have to buy us time until the FTL drive system is ready!. Launch a radio alert and pray to God someone in the Alliance is close enough. FTL drive status?"

"Thirty seconds for full charge!,"_ s_aid another voice from the bottom of the bridge.

Sparks heard Velázquez launch the standard alert message across all frequencies. If there was something she liked of the young woman, it was her efficiency at work.

"Detecting mass accelerator charge, they´re going to fire the main weapon!,"Velázquez almost screamed the last sentence, panic preying on her.

"Evasive maneuvers!.

A second later, a tremendous impact shook the small ship. The orange holographic bridge terminals vanished instantly, sparks and electricity arcing and jumping to life for a moment. Nevan was driven back by an explosion that killed him. His charred body was bleeding and lying on the floor of the bridge. Velázquez fell off her chair giving a little shriek and rolled next to the fallen body, getting a strong blow to her head and trying in vain to rise. Captain Sparks fell to her knees, her seat belt being thrown apart and herself growling a low moan. Her curly reddish hair was abuzz with the movement and it fell forward, covering her eyes a bit. She helped herself to stand with the command chair and turned to see Velázquez, who approached limping to her post.

"Report!," ordered the woman in command, with a wild beast visage.

"We've been hit with a mass accelerator shot. FTL engine has been damaged and is unusable. Several systems, including sub-light drive and communications equipment are fried. Engineering reports that the eezo core endured, but it has several leaks. By some miracle we are alive, however if the Batarians don´t kill us, radiation from the zero element core will."commented the other woman.

"Order the crew to evacuate Engineering and seal the deck, now!," commanded the redhead as she approached one of the weapons' lockers:

"We won't be able to launch another distress communication, so get the remaining and able together in the cargo area, to distribute firearms and ammo. ¡We're going to be boarded in very short notice!."

The dark-haired woman pushed some buttons, sending an internal message to the rest of the ship, notifying the situation, as she watched the fiery red-haired woman open the weapons locker of the bridge and take two Avenger assault rifles, compacted for better transportation. Then she followed the captain, while pressing a few buttons on her orange omnitool, to deliver herself a dose of medigel from the dispenser on her suit. The pain relief was almost instantaneous. She turned in time to receive one of the weapons and verify the charge.

It was such a shame she was so bad at shooting...

* * *

The batarian ship approached to the Destiny, as a predator who is about to give the final blow to its prey. The hundred-fifty meters from the mercenary cruiser, contrasted against the forty-something of the transport ship. The alien ship, more square-shaped, like a group of rectangular boxes stacked onto each other in a kind of hi-tech design which was ancient for Earth standards, made the transport look like it has already seen his share of days. It matched speeds quickly with the human transport and placed a tunnel down to secure the hatch of the stranded ship.

In the cargo hold area, Captain Sparks had already organized what remained of her crew. She had lost six men, including Engineer Senner, when the mass accelerator shot of the enemy had beaten the Destiny. The thirty-something who were still standing, had been armed with pistols, some shotguns and assault rifles and waited nervously over the fortified positions -more like barricades made through hastily stacked boxes-, along the main corridor.

The Captain was relatively close to the entry hatch. She could smell the acrid smoke from the torch of hydrazine, the aggressive four-eyed creatures were using to break through. They had more than half the door cut and just needed a little more space to get into the transport ship. Jenny prayed that the invaders weren't professional soldiers -against which its crew stood no chance at all-, but the usual bands of pirates of the Terminus systems, against which they would have more chance of winning. She had left Velázquez on the back. The poor girl had little or no experience with firearms and it would have been madness, placing her on the front ranks. Instead, she left her hastily repairing the comms system, which had not been as damaged as she thought. Despite the slim chances of a patrol of the Systems Alliance -or from the any other race of the Council for that matter- being nearby, launching a new rescue signal was an ace that had to be played without hesitation.

A metallic sound reached her suddenly. The last piece of the door had fallen and the invaders had already entered the corridor. Jenny aimed and opened fire against the first silhouette she saw. At least three rounds impacted on the assailant, making him fall. Nobody else came to help him. Then there was a clang and she saw a rolling sphere the size of an apple next to them.

Jennifer Sparks -Jenny for the few people who were her friends-, was a human ex-soldier, who had decided to retire young from the military. After Elysium and the human vengeance in Torfan, she had been left wanting to know little else about space wars. But she still remembered clearly the basic training of the Alliance Marines. At the time she had become the commanding officer of a small squad, and knew the rules of engagement.

And she also knew perfectly well the effects of a stun grenade...

Closed her eyes and tried to cover her ears. She couldn´t. A flash and a loud noise like a bang afterwards, and suddenly she found herself disoriented, her head spinning with a terrible pain that seemed to drill into her brain. She opened her eyes a few seconds later. Next to her, despite her sudden discomfort, she distinguished a batarian soldier, clad in a painted blue battle armor, with white stripes along the arms and an oval emblem in the torso, with a white sun on the far end. A helmet of the same color, a polarized visor covering his face.

_"Shit!, the Blue Suns!..."_ that ought to be worse than she thought. A sharp blow to her head stopped her from thinking and plunged her into darkness...

* * *

The infamous Batarian Colonel Cathka, had taken the decision that day to embark on his new ship. A cruiser of Batarian manufacture, whose acquisition talked about the growing power in arms-dealing of the Blue Suns. The eight GARDIAN systems that had been smuggled from a shipment on route to Arcturus station, thanks to a deal with Donovan Hock, the mercenary mogul and his ilk, which adorned the silhouette of the transport, were also powerful evidence of the extensive influence of the organization in other institutions.

Catching the recently tracked Kowloon-class freighter, would help him achieve another perk. Only a few more meritorious deeds and he would be able to enter the circle of close associates of Vido Santiago and -hopefully- ,then he could place obstacles in the way of that stinking lousy Tarak, get rid of him and command the Blue Suns troops in Omega, the unofficial capital of the renegade Terminus Systems.

With such dreams of grandeur in mind, Cathka had embarked on his new "bucket" -as his troops had called it-, and gliding silently through the lower atmosphere of Trebin, approached it, masking their heat emissions with the increased heat of the planet. He had managed to close the gap to just over two thousand kilometers before the sensors of the "Destiny" detected it, getting to surprise the crew of the human ship.

Now he was leading the boarding effort and he would return to Omega, with human slaves to sell to the highest bidder and the cargo of the ship, as well as valuable information for using in the black market.

He had already knocked out one of the first defenders, a woman with intense red hair, and his men had entered the small human transport, beating and harassing the defenders. The operation was going well and the smile of the humanoid creature, whose most prominent features were two pairs of eyes located one on top of the other in his wrinkled, bulldog-like head, spoke of the confidence of knowing that he had the winning hand in that game.

Something was not right however, and a pang of fear struck him when he received a radio communication:

"[Colonel Cathka: This is Bridge. We have company. Our sensors located three objects of about twenty meters long each, approaching our position to forty degrees right elevation, decline twenty-five degrees of our position in the galactic plane at a distance of ten thousand kilometers,]"the voice of the Turian in the control room sounded reverberatingly worried.

"Damn... could it be the Alliance?, how is that possible?. They´re almost upon us!, what took you so long to notice?," the Batarian commented, internally cursing his luck. As for the size of them, they could well be Alliance interceptors. This was unexpected, and Cathka didn´t take well the surprises.

"[The equipment on board is not very reliable to say the least, and we had to perform the necessary checks!...]"the batarian made a face that would have made the other alien lose color, had he seen it:

"[Either way I don´t think it is the Alliance sir. The information the Shadow Broker gave us on the Alliance fleets...]"_ - _the voice on the bridge came clear over the sounds of gunfire and explosions of the fight behind him.

"The Shadow Broker gave us intelligence about the position of the fleets of dreadnoughts of the Alliance, not their patrol frigates, you idiot!." Cathka barked the last sentence. Whatever was happening, made him nervous. But the straw that would break the camel was coming.

"[Sir, I'm detecting a transmission on a shortwave band!, it is coming from the cargo hold area!]"

The mercenary's face turned red as a tomato. Everything seemed perfect until five minutes ago. Why was him to deal with such foolishness?...

"There is a radio signal. Check all the transport and disable the transmitter!, bring the prisoners to the ship and get ready to go,"ordered in a hurry, while his other henchmen began to transport the hostages to the ship.

The Blue Suns rushed to search all areas. The fighting had almost finished and most of the crew had been captured alive. Only a few workers in the rear part of the ship had made it to the end, entrenched as they were, but after a minute scuffle it was over, their lifeless bodies lying on the floor of the back compartment.

The soldiers checked section by section and locker by locker. A couple of minutes later, a couple of them brought Miss Velázquez, each one holding each arm of hers. Her Latino featured face was bruised by the beating, several threads of blood trickled from her mouth and nose. Cathka took the woman by the hair and made her face him up until the battered officer looked into his eyes. The Batarian didn´t bother to hide the hostility of that alien race towards the humans, whom since joining the galactic community, had been considered by some as newcomers and upstarts...

"So, trying to send a message, eh?"The soldier's tanned face twisted into a grimace of wild and unhealthy satisfaction.

The young brunette with the slim figure said nothing, her face a smile from ear to ear. At a signal from the Batarian, both soldiers, a human and Turian who carried assault rifles, dropped her to the ground. Blue Suns weren't known for its delicate manners.

"_Now I'll show you..." _threatened the commanding officer and faked a kick. Suddenly, the woman´s omnitool sprang to life. Cathka immediately stopped, paralyzed by the content of the transmission:

"[This is Lieutenant Commander Jack Baker of the Robotech Expeditionary Force. To the aggressor cruiser ship: You are surrounded by fighter aircraft. Immediately cease hostilities and surrender or face the consequences!]"

_How was that possible?, how had they come so fast?._ He couldn´t recognize the name of the militia, but it was likely to be a secret division of the Alliance or perhaps a military group sponsored by Terra Firma, or worse... by Cerberus. In any case ít didn´t matter. The pilot's voice was indeed human, and it didn´t seem the type to make threats lightly.

Accessed to the signal of the spacecraft's external cameras that were still functioning and found that a group of stylish craft hovered around his cruise. They were bigger than all fighters and interceptors he had seen, whether Turian, human, Salarians or Asari. They looked very threatening, but ultimately were no more than starfighters. A little sting of his GARDIAN systems and they would fall like flies...

"Bridge: This is Cathka!, how did they come so close to us?"

"[Sir, they´re not showing up in our tracking systems!, the GARDIAN systems can´t track them properly]"

"Go to manual control and enable the other defensive systems. They'll regret very soon messing with the Blue Suns!."

* * *

War never ends for the good soldiers...

For Lt. Commander Jack Baker, that rule was especially true. Since joining the Robotech Expeditionary Force in 2022, after the death from his parents in the war with the Zentraedi, to the reclamation of Tirol and the treachery of General T.R. Edwards in 2044, it had been twenty-two years of constant war (actually seventeen if he took into account that he had lost five of them in a poorly executed folding to the Valivarre system, the home of the Robotech Masters, like all other members of the Pioneer mission).

Throughout all those years he had gone from being a mere rookie, to becoming the undisputed leader of Wolf Squadron, participating actively in the liberation of several planets invaded by the Invid.

Even recently, he had participated in the siege of the Invid hive at Optera, held by the traitor Edwards, and had managed to lead their squad-mates to victory, until a lucky enemy combatant had shot him down.

Admiral Hunter had told him that sometimes it came to it. That even he had days of those. Jack wasn´t lacking any confidence, but the encouraging words of the Admiral had been appreciated. And they had been even more when he asked him to stay with them, leading the Vermilion Squadron of the SDF-3, while his pilots traveled to strengthen the Robotech Reclamation Force that was going to throw the Invid off from Earth.

_"Nuggets can learn a few tricks from old wolf Baker"_ said, and he knew immediately he couldn´t refuse.

Now, with enemy forces lurking in every corner waiting to pounce on the SDF-3, and having the rescue mission sent by the REF failed, it became the task of experienced pilots like him, to maintain space superiority, while High Command organized a new mission to find them.

His mind wandered to the moments after the departure of the "Icarus", a little more than two days ago...

"We have just been rammed!. We're out of range of the folding sphere!. Vince, you have to return to warn the REF!, They must not use the Neutron-S missiles!, Earth will be destroyed if they do...!"

That's what Admiral Hunter had shouted through the comms, when the strange ship had rammed them. The rescue mission had found them, and when they reported the damage to his ship, the Icarus, led by Vince Grant, had prepared a scheme to transport them back to Allied territory, one that involved a fold sphere. Then came the enemy attack and they had been separated, outside of the sphere of influence of the other ship. They had seen the huge Shimakaze-class transport fade, taking with him the scientific vessel "Deukalion", companion of the SDF-3.

They remained stranded there, plunging into the singularity created by the test of the Neutron-S missiles. Jack had been seeing everything from a spot in the bridge, before returning to the Operations Room with the rest of his pilots.

The enemy ship had not pursued. Perhaps it was beyond its capabilities to enter the immense gravitational field of a black hole, remove a prey and exit, or it perhaps had been content simply watching as the SDF-3 was being towed to an inexorably fatal destination.

In any case it didn´t matter. Before the missile test, Dr. Lang had traveled to the SDF-3 at the request of Rick in order to explain to him the effects of such a weapon firsthand. That had saved the good-natured old man from the fate of his companions in the "Deukalion". Exedore Formo, the old Zentraedi advisor, hadn't been that lucky...

"Dr. Lang!, you have to reactivate the Reflex folding system at all costs!," said the veteran of the first Robotech war to the internal comm channel, his white hair hiding a bruise on his forehead.

"[Understood Rick. Much of the mechanism has survived intact, enough to put it to good use in ten minutes or so and make an emergency folding. Don´t you agree however, that this situation has a slight tinge of deja-vu?]," said the old man through the video channel, with his so characteristic German accent.

The Admiral paused for a moment and looked at his wife Lisa Hayes. In the dejected faces of both Hunters, formed a look of pure horror:

Last time someone had used a folding system inside a strong gravitational field, both a city and the SDF-1, had been completely transported to the orbit of Pluto, the folding system mysteriously vanished. The same Dr. Lang said that time that they had been lucky...

Rick Hunter´s heart almost stopped. The face of his wife Lisa, that of Karen Penn and the other officers on the bridge including Jack, had been frozen. Everyone turned to see the senior officer now. He knew the consequences of that decision, having firsthand lived through it once. But with much of the massive dreadnought systems damaged or disabled, the alternative was equally ominous. The Admiral debated a few seconds with himself and then his face regained the lost determination:

"We have no choice Dr. Lang, the deeper we go into the accretion disk of the black hole the less chances we have to survive. Who knows what could happen if we activate the folding system at less than five thousand kilometers from the horizon of the singularity..."

"[You're right son...]" The old man sighed. "[Activating the folding system!. Give me five more minutes!.]"

"Alright doctor. Hunter out."

The bridge was mute. Lisa Hayes went near the old ex-pilot, moving slowly. It seemed that she was hurt again when the ship had received the shock of the explosion. Her wine-colored loose clothing, as if it were some sort of kimono, which identified her as an ambassador to the intelligences they had encountered on their journey, collectively known as the Sentinels, made her look older than she actually was...

"We have no choice, eh?..." she asked softly. Despite the concern, exacerbated by the growing wrinkles on her face, she still had enough courage to make at least a joke. Jack could see the discrete smile on the Admiral´s face. He had known them both since the beginning of the Pioneer mission and knew that together, the Hunters (admiral and ex-admiral, now ambassador) could face anything. Their mutual confidence was beginning to permeate the mood of those present at the Bridge.

"No, but it doesn´t matter. We survived our trip from Pluto, survived the Zentraedi, survived the Invid and we will survive this." They embraced each other with a love that was already legendary in the fleet.

"That's what I wanted to hear!," she turned to all of them and then mentioned:

"Okay all of you, let´s prepare ourselves. We make an emergency folding in five minutes!."Life returned to the body of Lisa Hayes-Hunter, the flare of determination raging on again.

Jack and the other officers were filled with confidence at that very moment. And that barely sufficed to meet the emergency maneuver. They were deep into the accretion disk of the black hole when they tried it. The Reflex system worked as it should, but something at the moment didn´t go as everyone expected. The folding of the ship prolonged itself. An event that should have been almost instantaneous, in the perspective of the travelers, took two long days from aboard. During the first, technicians and scientists had tried to stop the process.

After extensive testings, Dr. Lang recommended not to alter the functioning of the folding systems and wait for the procedure -which seemed to develop normally-, to stop on their own.

The second day, the good scientist tried to figure out what happened at that very moment (with a long scientific discourse related to worm-holes, the curvature of space and time, dark energy and mass, and the multiverse, all of it involving a huge board full of physical and mathematical equations, well above the level of knowledge of most of the officers present in the Operating Room). In the end no explanation was satisfactory enough.

The only thing they found out for sure when the trip ended, was that the maneuver had folded them out of the universe they knew. The usual stellar references available to them indicated that they were still in the Milky Way, but the maps were only partially functional, with the positions of the stars altered so that some starscape features were not easily recognizable.

The observations revealed that everything in this new reality was different somehow...

That was what Karen Penn had told him over dinner, during her idle time, before Rick Hunter called him to a brief on an emergency rescue mission:

"[This is the freighter "MSV Destiny", in orbit of the planet Trebin. We are being attacked by hostiles from Terminus. If anyone in the Systems Alliance or its allies is listening, we're being attacked!, I repeat, we are being attacked!]"

That message had reached the ship's communications. The sensors still functioning, revealed two ships. One as small as an Horizon drop-ship, the other one bit smaller than a Garfish-class cruiser. Intelligence couldn´t determine the threat level of these ships, and didn´t want to risk a mission with hostile intentions. The Admiral, however, had one of those hunches -the ones waking up looks of suspicion from his wife- and assigned three pilots with their respective Alpha-Beta combos, all of them armed with missiles, synchrocannons and EU-15 "Destabilizer" pods, to assist the ship in distress.

The pilots assigned to it were practically the best ones in the Fleet. The legendary Commanders Sterling -Max and Miriya, heroes of the First Robotech War-, and Jack himself. He knew he was going to fly with the more experienced field officers on the whole REF. The fame of the Sterlings went before them, they were "_creme de la creme"_, and he knew he was still too far from the level of skill of the legendary pair, but he was not about to be intimidated by it.

When they were within three kilometers of the ships, the group received a new message:

"[To all the patrols of the Alliance: This is the "MSV Destiny" orbiting the planet Trebin on the Hades Gamma Cluster. If someone hears us, we need urgent help, we were attacked by the mercenary group "The Blue Suns", and we´re being boarded!, I repeat, we´re being boarded!]"

Max tried to answer the message, but almost immediately the electronics of his craft indicated him the frequency jamming. The old pilot said via radio to the young Jack:

"[Baker: You are the current Commander of the Air Group, launch the warning and let´s see how they react]."

Jack didn´t think twice, and took the honor awarded:

"Yes, sir!. This is Lieutenant Commander Jack Baker, of the Robotech Expeditionary Force. To the aggressor cruiser ship: You are surrounded by fighter aircraft. Cease and desist of your hostile intentions immediately and prepare to surrender or face the consequences!"

A transmission in a non-human language came almost immediately. Despite not understanding the content of this group of guttural snoring and barking, the intention of the voice was decidedly hostile...

The weapon batteries of the cruiser began to activate. Jack had suggested to engage their weapons systems and camouflage some minutes before their arrival, so they have gained an advantage over the medium-sized ship, arriving almost undetected. When that happened, Max pointed to the spacecraft´s GARDIAN weapons with his synchrocannon. Two seconds later, a red, high power flash struck the cruiser, reducing the eight batteries to little more than charred metal. The vessel was rocked again when the sub-light engines were disabled by Miriya a few seconds later. Jack reviewed the ship with her ship´s sensors. There was a growing accumulation of life on the lower decks of the transport. Possibly there were the hostages...

"We need to disable the major systems of the ship!"

"[Allow me]." Max prepared his EU-15 pod and fired a shot at an array of external modules. The sensors indicated that the electrical activity of the vessel almost ceased abruptly.

"Let´s go!,"Jack maneuvered the ship around and found what he was looking for. A loading bay. He approached the hull and sank the manipulator arm of the Alpha in the reinforced wall. The nano-reinforced materials that made the hull of the ship presented almost no resistance. A couple of hits and it gave way, causing a breach by which some boxes and materials were released into the blackness of space.

Miriya and Max indicated Jack to stay put and leave the inside job to them. The young man complied. Both veteran pilots separated their Beta complements from their ships, leaving them adrift, into the custody of their companion. Transforming both their Alpha fighters into Battleloid mode, got inside the loading bay.

A group of defenders entered through the door of the cargo area. They were armed with medium-sized weapons, supported by some missile launchers and other ordinance. But such firepower was not enough to keep their faces from turning pale at once, seeing an explosion that blew part of the hull and then two humanoid robots, bigger than a Kodiak shuttle, penetrating by force into the ship. Some of the humans, Batarians and Turians who recovered swiftly from the shock, were quick enough to not fall downcast, scorched by bursts of ions from the 100 mm EU-15 gun pods. A rain of fire from the semi-automatic weapons bathed the Alpha intruders, but it couldn´t penetrate any vital system of the vessels. Miriya neutralized without hesitation the rockets that still were fired, with accurate shots.

When the carnage ended, the military pair reversed the configuration of their vehicles to Guardian mode. Then came out of the ships, also releasing their Cyclone emergency vehicles...

* * *

Colonel Cathka had returned to the ship with the forces that had invaded the human ship. He had sent a detachment of well armed Blue Suns to prevent a boarding, but had lost communications with them about eight minutes ago, after the ship's systems had been damaged. The foreign ships were still parked in the cargo area and all communications had been lost with the nearby decks progressively. In total almost ten minutes had passed since he decided to board the ship and what should have been a quick operation of taking hostages, had become a battle that he was losing, without an explanation about how or why.

The Bridge had been one of the last areas to fall, about two minutes ago or so. Whoever they were such commandos, either they were heavily armed or were elite troops, maybe both. Their advance had been fast and now he and his ten remaining troops were entrenched in the engineering deck, where nobody in their right mind would dare to start a confrontation, for fear of damaging the mass effect core and causing a catastrophic failure on the ship that could destroy them all.

Several of his troops were focused on watching over the hostages. Cathka had decided not to sacrifice them, thinking that in the worst-case scenario, he could negotiate with the attackers and save his skin. Thought he would have to escape to an uncharted world and stay there till the end of his days. He could not face Tarak, even if he came out of this unscathed. The least he would do is degrade him so he can never again lead any troops. If Vido or the High Command of the Blue Suns found him first however, he could consider himself as good as dead.

The doors locking the Engineering section suddenly rocked. A large explosion blew the doors, killing one of the soldiers who had to guard the position. Whoever it was, it had no qualms about putting them all at risk...

"Open fire against anyone crossing that door!".

Barely had time to say that, when he saw two blurs going through the threshold. A couple of vehicles that appeared similar to those primitive contraptions humans called motorcycles, flew above them. But in mid-jump they did something nobody expected. Those motorcycles began to reform around the bodies of their riders, their wheels changing position and adjusting to the strange armor they wore, as if they were a natural part of their bodies. Both riders fell in the middle of the enemy contingent, the mercenaries not daring to shoot at risk of hurting their partners or damage the core of the ship. Both blurs, red and blue, hit his soldiers with extraordinary force. Vibrating blades came out of his arms and mercilessly tore his soldiers apart. Those who dared to fire their shots found that they bounced off them as if they had kinetic barriers.

The Batarian didn´t give it a second thought. He took one hostage, the same woman of intense orange-red hair, whom he had knocked out first. She was holding in her arms the brunette girl who transmitted the message via shortwave. When he faced both aliens, only two of his men were still up:

"Stop it now!. Let us go and I will not destroy this ship and all of the things inside!. If you don´t accept my demands we will all die here and now!".

He was pointing his gun directly at the mass effect core. The few hostages who were awake released an exclamation of horror. The two foreign soldiers stopped, yet in an aggressive stance, like giving his prey a minute to breathe before dying.

The two lasting Blue Suns still standing, approached them with a menacing intent. The Batarian military heard the two humans utter something between them:

"What now?," wondered the one with a taller and more stout figure.

"We improvise" said the other, who seemed more feminine, speaking in a lighter voice.

They didn´t move however. The two exchanged glances between them. Both seemed to communicate, not with words but with just looks. They stopped suddenly and then stared at him. In the polarized helmet visor of the female figure he saw his reflection and could see the lips of her hostage gently moving...

"Now!."

The Batarian quickly raised his gun, suspecting a trick, but a tremendous blow to his abdomen bent him back. His prey escaped and made him do a forced turn with a martial arts throw, that lead him straight to the ground. The woman disarmed him while he heard a couple of shots of the strange weapons of his opponents, and the sound of two bodies falling to the ground. Those were the last of his men. The next blow knocked him out completely.

Maximilian Sterling lowered his visor and motioned to the red-haired woman to lay down her weapon. The other one nodded, and seeing the face of the military, did without complaint. Miriya´s weapon had changed to a recording device, and was very entertained recording the scene. The hostages hugged one another and those who were still weak after the assault received assistance from others to stand. The woman who helped them approached:

"Thank you... I thought we were not going to make it. I'm Captain Jennifer Sparks, of the MSV Destiny. Who should I give my thanks?" asked the nimble readhead moving towards her rescuers.

"Commander Max Sterling, Twelfth Air Division of the REF. My wife Commander Miriya Sterling. A pleasure to meet you Captain." said the swift Max, extending his gloved hand towards the other woman and making a gesture to shake hands with the redhead.

"REF?, I don´t remember any division of the Alliance under that name," she commented shaking his hand tightly. She was undoubtedly stronger than many men he had known, despite her frail appearance.

"We're not part of your... Alliance. Let´s just say we are an independent military group." The light blue haired pilot with glasses stepped up its dialogue with a smile that would otherwise have disarmed his opponent.

"From Terra Firma or Cerberus maybe?, if so I extend my thanks to you anyway, but neither my crew nor I want to have anything to do with your people".she moved her hand instinctively towards the weapon she had captured. Max realized that she had military training, and he didn´t want to start another fight.

"Worry not captain. We are not part of those groups... we are here for other reasons." Miriya said, pointing his camera at her, but lowering the device almost immediately. No doubt she had learned well the lessons of diplomacy from Lisa Hayes. She could almost act as a good human diplomat, without her aggressive Zentraedi heritage -or Meltrandi in her case-, stepping into action.

"We do need your help now, with some technical aspects, as you needed ours in these difficult times". said Max with a little candor.

"Well, the least I can do is help you, after all you saved us from this miserable..." The woman painted a mischievous smile on her face and kicked the knocked-down Batarian on the ground:

"...but I don´t see how can we help, I know that I have never seen this kind of toys in the Alliance...".

"Don´t worry about it. Just let us take you and your crew to our mother-ship and we can explain the situation in a more precise manner".the pilot suggested as he watched the ship. The mass effect core drew his attention powerfully.

"Okay, but I fear that our ship is not working. The Blue Suns..."she pointed to the fallen soldiers "... made a "stunt" with her and we have some injured crew members."

"That won´t be a problem at all." said the senior officer:

"Sterling to Baker: The situation is controlled, better unlock the drag lines of the Betas. We´re going to take some tourists for a ride!"

"[Consider it done Commander!]"heard through the communicator.

Cathka began to stir at that very moment. The female figure of the duo that had completely ruined his life on that day, came to him and lifted her visor. The mercenary could see the face of a human woman with delicate features and expressive eyes, her hair had a very sensual, dark green color and her red lips were delicate yet inviting. Even for the Batarian, who had a sworn vendetta against humanity, her face was very attractive. Mature, yet seductive...

"It's an alien. Looks like a human, but..." she confirmed, eyeing him upside down as if checking a subject of little importance. Its four eyes were what drew her attention however.

"It's a Batarian. A non Council-aligned race. They're not very common outside the Terminus Systems." added Captain Sparks, when Miriya shot her an intrigued look. The green haired woman continued to ask:

"And this other?..."

"That's a Turian. Probably a soldier of fortune or a renegade. Sorry for asking, but where the hell have you been living, that you don't recognize a Turian?."

"We come from really far away, Captain. Admiral Hunter would like to know about these new races... I'll remember to ask you in detail, about these Batarians and Turians..." The blue haired man said as he came to the mercenary and tied his arms and legs with a plastic strip.

Colonel Cathka watched her go as they left him there, tied up. He was the only living soul in what had once been a proud Batarian cruiser owned by the Blue Suns, now a ruin that drifted in space. He had previously sent a message, via FTL communications to the nearest facilities of the Blue Suns and it was only a matter of time before someone came to rescue him. The alien wished he had not done it.

The Colonel of the mercenaries didn´t want anyone to see him at that moment. If he had been untied, he might have jumped into the void. If he had a gun he would have shot himself. When his companions found him hours later, he was already desperate to be freed from his confinement -the red-haired woman had convinced the foreign soldiers to leave him stored in a locker-. When Tarak saw him, he smiled in a so scathing manner that his fellow batarian swore he was seeing the devil himself...

"Cathka!... What an unexpected and pleasant surprise!... There´s so much to be explained to Vido... First you take the new ship without permission and then ruin it trying to earn some "easy" money!... I will recommend the boss to spare your life and keep you as the proverbial symbol of stupidity, that nobody in the Blue Suns should imitate!" The laughter that followed made the alien military strongly wish to be dead...

* * *

While Jack Baker and his superiors dragged the Destiny towards the disabled SDF-3, the quiet man pondered on the most recent events. Some of the things captain Sparks had told him, he gave a second thought:

"[You know... couple of days ago... when the company gave us this job, the mission employee told us of the Alliance commander that had ascertained the situation of the loss of communications with Trebin. No one had requested any investigation. I searched through the records and noticed the man's name. Locke Shepard]" said the woman on the radio, while they verified the course.

"What about this man captain?", Baker had asked, sounding anxious.

"[Jenny. Call me Jenny... ]" Her voice was playful and happy, a change of tone of the professionalism with which she had received the Sterlings.

"Excuse me?," Jack said, not entirely understanding what was happening.

"[Call me Jenny. People tend to call me Jennifer or Captain Sparks. One gets tired of the chain of command at times...]"

"Okay Jenny, so what's with this Commander Shepard?,"Baker asked again.

"[Wonder if he is the same Shepard who stopped the batarians in the Attican Traverse...?]"

"[Maybe...]" Max Sterling said, intruding himself in the conversation. He signaled Baker that they were coming close to the SDF-3 now.

"[I met him when we were fellow soldiers in the Elysium garrison. He was a difficult man to forget, maybe because he had this demeanor that is rarely seen in men nowadays...]"

"And how is that?", the young pilot asked, intrigued.

"[He was full of confidence, security, even charismatic and not afraid to show it. He also had a great rectitude, following it to the letter as a kind of personal code. It was the attitude of an errant knight... helping people and sacrificing himself so that others wouldn´t have to...]"

That demeanor had intrigued Jack:

_Don´t dream Jack Baker, errant knights of old are an anachronism. You are a soldier and must follow orders. There is no room between them for moral rightness or idealism..._

That was what his conscience would say, taking the form of the pragmatic blond Karen Penn. Nothing like your own conscience for issuing a commentary not exempt of irony. He got that thought out of him.

But perhaps his mind was right, maybe deep inside him he was just a soldier who fancied himself as an idealist. Or maybe he was an idealist who had become a less-than-pragmatic good soldier. In any case he didn´t consider it a defect. His ranking officer, Admiral Hunter, was an idealist like few others. It was his righteousness that confronted him with General Edwards and catapulted all of them into a painful internal war.

It was this honesty that gave him strength when things got tough. And that ability was what enabled him to win without sacrificing his own integrity. It didn´t undermine his ability to command in any way. Despite the difficulty of his position and the moral ambiguity of the circumstances in which he was involved, the fleet trusted him unconditionally.

He had led them to win a small victory today. They had outlived their enemies, survived a folding maneuver that led them to a new universe, and under his direction, they had rescued humans from the oppression of other malicious sapient beings...

Yes. The Admiral was an idealist, yet a good soldier, and war never ends for good soldiers.

But only the good soldiers are able to end all wars...

* * *

Next: First interactions between the REF and the other humans. and the travel to the Citadel.

You know the drill, boys!. Leave a review...


	3. Two: To the pinnacle of the world

**Robotech **and their characters are properties of **Harmony Gold USA Inc.**, **Mass Effect** and their characters are properties of **Bioware**. There´s no economic remuneration gained from this story.

* * *

Si deseas leer esta misma historia en idioma español, por favor checa: **"Sombras de los Segadores"**, en el mismo apartado **Crossovers: Robotech-Mass Effect.**

* * *

I extend an apologize for taking so much time to update. Life is such a time-consuming ocurrence!. Anyway, before we procede, i want to thank all of the people that have subscribed, favored or commented this story. They are:

Relvain Jenafuse, Dutch reader, Knight298051, Zerogoki, CyberAngelOne, Trife, Nairojam, JC, urielv59, raazz, inuboy86, syed, V. Silva and curlyjr.

(Hope I`m not forgetting anyone!). To all of you boys BIG THANKS!.

* * *

_**Chapter Two:**_

_**Traveling to the pinnacle of the world. **_

_**Antaeus system, Hades Gamma Cluster**_

_(previously Crab Nebula)_

_Terminus Systems_

Karen Penn jumped into the bed of her room and relaxed deeply, her yellow hair floating on the surface of the furniture, as if she was underwater. She secretly gave thanks for her shift having already ended. While the other flight controller, Adelle, was on duty, she would be able to sleep. REF regulations said that the cubicles should be shared, especially when it came to junior staff, but she was exempt of following such an order. Furthermore, in a ship capable of carrying at least six thousand people, officers could afford to have private rooms...

_Privileges of rank_, she thought.

Her mind went over the things that had happened in the last few hours. First the arrival of the "alien" ship, which turn out to be not so alien.

She recalled the moment with absolute clarity...

The three Legioss fighters landed on the repairing deck, in the east starboard wing, bringing in the small ship, even though they were like half the size of his keepers. The freighter had a very particular design, modular, very... human so to speak. The three Veritechs had gone to Battleloid mode and made several maneuvers, aided by some Destroids, to graciously accommodate the foreign vessel on the deck.

Karen waited nervously to the left of the welcome group: _You don´t get to meet people __from other dimensions every day, _thought, as she scanned the characters around her. A detachment of marines in CVR-3 armor, armed with Gallant rifles, formed six meters away of the ship. Weapons were prepared, but the officer´s orders were to show no hostility towards the newcomers.

Beside her, a fierce expression in his face, was Admiral Hunter and his wife Lisa, who were dressed in their finest attire. She wore a little sling on her left arm. She had tended her wounds after the emergency jump, but doctors had determined that her condition was of no utmost importance and she had been prescribed only an orthopedic support and analgesics.

Lisa´s right was flanked by Dr. Lang, with his white robe and the Chief Scientist´s insignia strung on the left side of his chest. Being one of the few civilians of great importance in the expedition, as well as being "efectively" the father of Robotechnology, the soldiers treated him with great deference. Colonel Dana Sterling was also at his side. She had been appointed Chief of Ground Forces of the SDF-3 contingent, in the absence of the infantry officers who had joined the Third Reclamation Force Mission. The face of the blond with short hair was that of a bit-curious child, while the scientist´s was one of contained interest.

The Sterlings and Jack Baker had come out of their fighters and approached the ship, tapping the hull, to give the exiting signal to the guests. The outer hatch let out a whistle, matching the two atmospheres´ pressures. When the airlock cycled, the thick composite materials sheet retreated, giving way to three figures.

Upfront was a woman, rather small in stature, of good figure and long red hair a bit disheveled. She moved with the unmistakable presence of a commanding officer. After her came two men, one Caucasian-blond, with hair at his shoulder, perfectly groomed, yet he showed a severe bruise on his face, likely left by the butt of a gun. He was maybe twenty centimeters taller than the redhead, but he didn´t have the same aura of confidence that she radiated. The third man was an Asian, taller than both of the others, with a lean physique, steeled by -probably- years of hard work. Looks were drawn to him by his bald head and a small Fu-Manchu style mustache, framing the hint of a beard.

_Maybe the result of a diverse racial mix._ Certainly it was an interesting group...

The two men were dressed in black shirts with vests, made of something like orange denim. Their pants were thick and short, with a plethora of pockets and belts that could contain tools. Under them and up to the knee, boots came thick and tough, reinforced on the joints, with a rather utilitarian design. The clothes tended to obscure the impressive physique of both men, but certainly seemed comfortable. Clothing made for comfort was constant trend regardless of the galaxy.

The red-haired woman was wearing a kind of one-piece lycra dress that fell from the neck, steel gray and white on top, both solid colors divided by a thin red line running from her right shoulder, across her chest down the left side of her body, gently outlining her silhouette. In her left hand shone what seemed a kind of holographic gauntlet highlighting her clothes. A few seconds later the piece of technology vanished on thin air and only her gloved hand remained. The commanders of the group of soldiers turned to see each other in disbelief and suspicion and then to Mayor Sterling, who said absolutely nothing. Their orders were still standing.

"Holographic technology... sehr interessant!." She heard the old doctor mutter.

The group walked towards them, Max Sterling posing as an intermediary:  
_  
_"Admiral, I present you Captain Jennifer Sparks of the MSV Destiny," claimed the pilot on a mature, conciliatory tone:

"Captain: This is Admiral Hunter of the Robotech Expeditionary Force and his wife, Ambassador Lisa Hayes-Hunter."

The face of the woman called Sparks was one of well-concealed surprise. She didn´t look impressed by the soldier detachment, but if Karen had to bet, she´d say she was confused by the technology of the ship and its dimensions. Her Asian companion had a round "o" painted on his face as he looked around, and the other man didn´t stop admiring the robotech gadgets. She recovered quickly from the initial shock:

"A pleasure to meet you Admiral Hunter, Ambassador Hayes." She reached out to the two leaders, shaking their hands strongly. If Rick had noticed the unusual strength of the woman, he said nothing.

"We must thank you for rescuing us from those mercenaries. Without the cooperation of your men, we would be well on the way to the Terminus Systems, to be sold as slaves."

"There is nothing to thank Captain. We heard your distress signal and were around to help..." Rick said quietly and then continued:

"I understand your crew needs medical attention..."

"Yes. Officers Huxley, Cho Li and myself..." said gesturing to her companions, who became fully aware and extended their hands "...are in better shape than the rest. We addressed our most critically injured over the infirmary of the ship, but still..."she sighed:

"...even medigel has its limitations".

Rick's face curled into a grimace of misunderstanding that was imperceptibly replaced with a more serene one. Lisa Hayes however, saw that grin and went forward:

"I understand. Our medical facilities are available to you if needed be, as well as technical and material support we can give you to repair your ship. Meanwhile may I suggest a tour of our own, as a gesture of goodwill?. If someone in your crew wants to rest, we have plenty of accommodation."

"On behalf of my crew, I thank you deeply. I would certainly like to see your ship. You can´t always see a dreadnought so closely. I was never stationed in one of them in my time as a soldier of the Alliance..."

"So you were a soldier?"

"Yes. I was a Gunnery Chief in the Army of the Alliance before retiring, about ten years ago. I know enough of protocol to understand that if you don´t want to show me some parts of your vessel for reasons of confidentiality, I will respect that decision."

"Let´s not talk of prohibitions for the time being Captain. Let me introduce you to the rest of the staff. You already know both Commanders Sterling and Lieutenant Commander Baker, who is the current CAG of the ship..."said Rick pointing to Miriya and Max, who both had their helmets in their hands and were staying close to Dana, who looked a bit uncomfortable with their presence. Jenny turned to look at Jack, giving him a piercing look from top to bottom. He couldn´t less than feel that he was being undressed with her eyes. Karen stirred in her place, feeling a little uncomfortable...

"...Dr. Emil Lang, Chief Scientist of the ship..." the mature, bearded doctor stepped forward and greeted the woman, trying to keep his curiosity suppressed. "...Colonel Dana Sterling, Chief of Ground Forces..." the short haired blond thanked the officer's intervention to get away from her parents and, after exchanging a formal greeting with the red-haired, pulled back, among the soldiers and away from the faces of hidden consternation of her parents:

"...And our Air Control Officer, Lieutenant Commander Karen Penn."The two women crossed sights. Karen kept her gaze fixed on the honey eyes of the small girl, however, she couldn´t help but turn back to Jack for a few seconds. The woman saw the gesture and smiled slightly. Despite the friendly handshake, some animosity had already been created between them...

Once protocol had been fulfilled, Rick informed Dr. Salazar, Chief of Medicine, to help the crew members as much as possible. Jenny ordered Officer Huxley to go have a check-up and assist the physicians as much as possible. After that they parted ways to see the ship...

The blond Karen visibly relaxed, her mind returning from the scene, back to the things around her. As she sank into the blessed oblivion of sleep, she thought it all seemed to have gone very well in their first contact with other humans...

* * *

Captain Sparks was not so sure everything had gone that well.

Three hours after their arrival, Jenny had seen enough to understand that whoever their hosts claimed to be, they weren´t from the same place she had imagined.

After the diplomatic tour had ended, Lisa led the redhead and her companion to the Operations Room, where they were offered a light snack and allowed to eat without interruptions, showing that their peers were receiving similar attentions as well. When finished, Lisa and Rick sat in front of them both, with serious expressions. The thin woman guessed that the time had come for explanations:

"It's time to talk about why we brought you here, Captain." Said the diplomat, in her most cordial way.

"Well... If it all comes to fattening and then eating me, like they do in those old alien vids, I fear this appetizer is not even remotely enough..." she said playfully. Cho Li just shook his head, squinting his eyes as one who hears a bad joke.

Both Hunters smiled with relief. It seemed the serious faces hadn´t made a dent in the mind of the slender commander.

"No. Definitely that´s not our intention. But it is clear there are things you want to ask. Its painted all over both your and your partner´s faces." Lisa said quietly.

"True... You can start by telling me who you really are. The Human Systems Alliance certainly has dreadnoughts, but they´re not as large as this ship... uniforms and ranges don't match ... your technology is..." she stopped a moment and breathed heavily "...something I had never seen. It is true that I was a soldier like ten years ago, but anyone savvy enough can see that you are not from Earth´s military. You are human, at least that I can say with certainty. Your behavior and routines are the same: Your recruits still fall asleep at their posts sometimes. Your officers still look at us with frowns and looks of concern. They still tend to rail against the first officer while his back is on. All of that is very human, your technology, however, is not."

"You're right Captain Sparks. We are not part of the Human Alliance... I´m afraid we don´t even come from "Earth" ... not at least the one you know as "Earth." The problem of explaining where we come from, doesn´t have a "diplomatic" way of being expressed, so I'll better say it straight away: We come from another dimension..."

Lisa didn´t continue further, giving time for the officers in front of her to digest the information they had just received. Cho Li quickly stood up, livid. He was heading toward the door when Jenny called him with an imperious tone:

"Cho!, sit down please..." she didn´t even turn to see him. Her hands were clasped and her face had a stern visage, a gesture that both Rick and Lisa identified as a familiar one.

"Jennifer, by the Gods!..."

"_Cho, sit down please." _Her voice remained calm, but there was the urgency of command in it. Rick remembered suddenly and couldn't be least than impressed a bit. This little woman had brought him back memories of his old friend and superior, the late Admiral Gloval.

The Asian turned around and returned to his place. She returned to her quiet gestures, without uncrossing her hands:

"Really... I don´t think you have appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the Terminus Systems to save us, then practice a joke as bad as this... what you, Mrs. Hayes, are telling me, is something quite unusual. No offense but... how do I know that this isn´t a montage?... how do i know you´re not pirates with innovative technological toys, conspiring to get hold of my properties, as humble as these are?"

Rick's face was visibly altered. No doubt the redhead's comment had offended him. He was about to respond in a bad manner to her, but Lisa had anticipated that move:

"I understand your reluctance to believe our story, Captain. If i were in your position, i would´ve taken you for fools. Look... we're not sure how it happened... but Dr. Lang believes that our way of FTL travel, our "folding" system, reacted to a massive gravitational field, like the one a planet or a black hole can create, and instead of leading us to our destination, it brought us here, wherever it may be..." said the brown haired woman approaching her husband.

Lisa knew that those words were not going to calm the mood on the old pilot, but she hoped they were sufficient to contain his anger for some seconds, a critical time necessary for the slim woman to fall into account of the situation. The diplomat reminded herself that the path they were traveling was too narrow to allow it to be stretched even more, by adding the pressure of injury.

"Mass effect reactors don´t interact negatively with..."_ -_ Cho Li started, almost choking on the words.

"...gravitational fields. I know it Cho. But they, if you didn´t notice, don´t use the same technology we do."Jenny interrupted him immediately. Lisa couldn´t help but appreciate the calm with which the woman was taking the situation.

"You're correct, Captain. This vessel operates with two Mark IV Reflex reactors running on protoculture. In case of failure or emergency it has eight mini-nuclear fusion reactors to keep systems up and running."Rick said, his voice controlled, not allowing himself to show a grudge.

Jenny raised an eyebrow. _Eight nuclear reactors?_. No doubt whatever that protoculture was, it was some damned powerful resource. Mass effect reactors equated only three times the power of a thorium nuclear reactor. If that was true, the speed, capacity and range of the ship was far greater than any transport of the Alliance:

"_Damn, it is larger than any ship of all known races!"_.

That monster could contain a group of Alliance frigates with plenty of room in between for maintenance groups in its landing deck. Its firepower, reflected in the number of sites for defensive turrets and its fighter payload, was greater than anything showed and deployed in either Asari or Turian dreadnoughts. If the main gun was as powerful as they hinted, the ship could make the "Destiny Ascension", the largest ship of the Citadel Fleet, look like a mere toy.

Perhaps the ship alone would suffice to jeopardize the entire Citadel Fleet. The mere thought of it made her head roll...

"This is a very powerful battleship!. Assuming you're telling the truth... Can you explain to me what or who were you fighting, that was needed so much power?." She said, rising from her seat. Lisa feared the worst.

Rick turned to see his wife, holding her gaze for a few seconds, as if they were trying to relieve each other from a really heavy burden, without succeeding. Finally, after moments that seemed like hours, Rick stood up and walked to the video projector. Typed in a few instructions on the keyboard and then said:

"Watch carefully, Captain. I don´t know to which extent, the history of the Earth as you know it, is the same as ours. What I'm almost certain, is that you never had to deal with things like the ones you´re about to see..."

The tone of the admiral was that of a tired man. Jenny wondered if it was just dramatic effect or there was really a heavy burden on the shoulders of the graying adult, face marked by a deep scar on his right cheek, filling with wrinkles at an incredible rate. At an order from the Admiral she turned her gaze to the screen. The images in it left her speechless...

Rick told them, supported by the footage stored on the computers of the ship, the odyssey of mankind since the beginning of the Robotech Wars. With their mettle fighting hardly to contain the horror, they learned of the fall of Zor´s space fortress on Earth, the battles of the Unification Wars, the arrival of the Zentraedi and their fight with the humans. One that reduced civilization almost to ashes, killing seventy percent of life on the planet and transforming huge, vast areas of land in barren deserts.

As officer Cho-Li put his hands on his face, as if to shield himself from vengeful ghosts, and Jenny tried to remain impassive, unsuccessfully, they both learned of the Pioneer Expedition and the SDF-3's travel to the Valivarre system, to avoid a second war. One they failed to stop when they learned that the Robotech Masters, creators of the Zentraedi, were already traveling to Earth to retrieve the ship that their slaves could not.

It sparked a new conflagration that devastated the planet again, one that humans won by a narrow margin. The information and pictures of that event, came with Dana Sterling and her group, who traveled to Tirol to reunite with the REF, in the months after the destruction of the protoculture matrix, that was the central reason for the dispute between the two sides, after releasing the parasite Flower of Life on Earth.

With contained affliction, they learned how, while the mother planet was invaded again, the Pioneer mission was forced to fight for their lives when the Invid, who had become entangled in conflict with the Masters and had devastated their home planet, Tirol, realized their existence. The confrontation would´ve been disastrous had it not been for the Sentinels, extraterrestrial allies who helped them at all times.

When the Invid detected the presence of the Flower of Life, the schism in their ranks meant half of the conquering army left the Valivarre system. Even with its forces reduced, the invaders were strong enough to defeat the Army of the Southern Cross, who had defended Earth against the Masters, and whose resources were exhausted, becoming helpless to contain them...

Earth was dominated a third time and humanity became reduced to a series of groups who mistrusted each other, stuck in feudalism, bordering on anarchy, staying away from the Invid -and some of them collaborating with the invaders-. The Pioneer Expedition organized two missions to retake the planet back, only to fail miserably every time, due to the countless number and ferocity of their enemies. Despair came to such an extent that some elements of the expedition allied themselves with the enemy, leading to a bloody internal struggle, which had ended just recently.

In total, nearly fifty years of war had passed before their eyes in just over ten minutes.

Cho Li wanted to sink himself into the deepest hole he could find and never come out of it. Jennifer Sparks didn´t want to show the tears that adorned her cheeks, but her efforts were doomed to fail inevitably. When Rick ended, she hastily withdrew the pearls of pain rolling down her cheeks. But the last surprise came later, when the Admiral gave an order through his personal comm. and Dr. Lang entered the room.

In his hands was a cylindrical container containing a trio of orchid-like flowers, light pink, with a structure of long and slender petals, bell-like elongated. They glossed-off a very particular, rosy glow that could be noted despite the intense light of the room. When the captain reached out, trying to touch one of them, the coarse secondary stems of the flowers delicately curled in her hand. Cho approached with caution, while Jenny lifted the flower to his view. The plant was curled up in her hand, but it was not applying any pressure, instead it gently rested on her palm, and seemed to undulate to the rhythm of her heartbeat.

"This is the Flower of Life of the Invid, that the Robotech Masters stole. The possession of this little thing caused the wars of which we have spoken..."Lisa said in an ominous tone:

"...If subjected to the correct processes, it´s able to provide an incredible amount of energy."

Jenny said nothing. The diplomatic´s voice was fading quickly. As she watched the flower-creature, as if hypnotized, her mind caught a thought. Images came to her:

She saw a garden planet, beautiful in its vastness, in which varied and stylish life forms lived in harmony. The shape of a mature woman, whose delicate face reminded her of a mother, stern, but always devoted to her family, called her to stand by her side. She was replaced almost immediately by the silhouettes of three elderly men, not bent with age, but in an upright position, showing pride and power. Then it all changed around, and while the silhouettes were seen from far away in the stars, everything was flooded on fire, the destruction of that eden world falling from the hands of a race of giant creatures wielding deadly weapons of destruction.

All of it was overcome by the face of a young man whose long, curly violet-hued hair, reflected confidence and a deep understanding, rivaled only by unparalleled melancholy. And behind him, in the reflection of his eyes, the unmistakable silhouette of the third planet from the sun, Earth in all its beauty and splendor...

Cho and Lisa tried to wake the captain up, but she didn´t answer their calls. The Flower of Life still hovered in front of her, moving slowly. Jenny responded a moment later, a look of shock on her young face. She put the flower in the container carefully and then demanded to retire to their rooms, to weigh all the information they had received. Rick assured her that, as soon as her crew recovered, they would be free to go, if that was what they wanted. They would facilitate materials and support them to repair their ship.

Jenny thanked them for everything and left, trying to control the tremor that ran over her body. She turned quickly to the small freighter, and once there she locked herself in her cabin. Hurriedly took off her clothes and tools, fighting an urgent feeling of suffocation and tightness in her chest that didn´t diminish. It was like reliving the terror and cruelty of both the Skyllian Blitz, and Torfan all at once. It made her think of the stories her father used to tell her about the First Contact War. She even used to play in the ruins of those cities destroyed by the Turian ships...

She left everything on her bed and only in her underwear, ran to the bathroom of her room and vomited the food she had been offered. The twitches of pain held her mercilessly, until she could throw-up nothing more than bile from her body. She washed, cleaned and cooled her face with the cold water coming from the faucet of her room.

She went back to bed with difficulty, burdened by the weight of the revelations she had received, unable to grasp all the connotations of what she had learnt. She laid there and tried to sleep without much success. The tears shed for the torn and troubled history of Mankind that swarmed out of her ship, accompanied her throughout the night...

* * *

Lisa Hayes-Hunter entered the Officers' Club, to the greetings of the guards at the gates and several other officers who were nearby. She was no longer an official part of the militia, having resigned to become ambassador to the peoples that made up the Sentinels, but the crew of the ship recalled perfectly that she was the previous Admiral of the Pioneer Expedition, before her husband became the senior officer. Saluting her, as they would to any superior, was their way of expressing their respect and affection to the still-young woman who had led them until not too long ago.

Lisa thanked the gestures with a smile and walked through the area along the tables, watching the officers talk to each other, several of them in a grim fashion. The voice of a very familiar woman stood above the low rumble of the place. Someone was playing a record of those mellow songs of Linn Minmei, which were so common in the fleet.

She made a grimace of disgust, complaining internally about the music selection, but didn´t do any more than ignoring it. The times of the grudge against the singer had been left behind. There even were days when they could be considered good friends. For a long time since, Lisa hadn´t consider her a love rival anymore. The former admiral was a confident woman, a voice of reason in the fleet and an equal among the alien intelligences that shared their cultures with her.

For all was worth, Minmei was only a bittersweet memory...

She approached the area reserved for High Command. There, sitting comfortably, were Miriya and Max in a circular table, vigorously studying a data pad. No doubt it was the info Dr. Salazar had found about the crew of the Destiny. She recalled they literally had lost contact with Captain Sparks after their "most revealing chat", two days ago. She was concerned that the attitude of horror she noticed on the girl, at the end of their interview, was bound to degenerate into open hostility:

"Lisa!, Come here. How's Rick?." Max´s perennial smile and his wife´s serious gesture beckoned her.

"He´s okay Max. He has devoted himself in body and soul to the technical aspects of bringing order to this ship, but sometimes I think it exceeds him..."

"You should tell him not to try too hard. Sometimes I guess the responsibility of being an Admiral overwhelms him," said the veteran pilot, while spooning a steaming soup with an odor of garlic and onions that looked very appetizing to the diplomat.

"In a certain way he does, but I think he feels responsible for our current situation... and you know how he behaves when such ideas get into his head!"_ -_ she clarified, while getting to the bar and taking a tray of cutlery and a small bowl. While she stood there, filling her plate with her personal pickings, Miriya said:

"He should go to the shooting range and unload a few rounds for a while. It really works for me,"the grin of the green-haired woman made Max arch an eyebrow.

"So you keep yourself lethal on those nights when you can't sleep?..." asked the man in a tone of sarcasm.

"Sometimes... sometimes I just go to the gym and exercise myself until I can no longer. You know me... always beautiful, always lethal!." The Meltrandi woman smiled with a charm that Lisa had seen her acquire over time. All three of them laughed amicably.

"The medical results of the crew of the Destiny are very interesting..."the woman added, pointing to the data on her tablet "...They are as similar as our peoples were, when our races started mixing. But there are genetic modifications in them, to correct defects such as cancer and hereditary diseases, there are also some mods to increase strength and performance."

"Mankind version one and half, why not blatantly a version two?" Lisa asked, more to herself than to her peers.

"Good question... with such a level of genetic control there could be interesting achievements. Not superhumans, but more likely strong and resilient people. Remember though that the Robotech Masters, who had a better command of genetics, just opted for switches to exacerbate mental control of their clones. Exedore would have been able to clarify the issue more accurately..."Miriya said thoughtfully.

All three of them were reminded of their fallen Zentraedi fellow. A mind so educated and incisive as the one of Exedore Formo could help them a lot at this moment. And even if he wasn´t able to help, he would still be sorely missed...

They remained in an awkward silence that lasted a few seconds, until Max dared to break it:

"Genetic modification was too convenient for the Robotech Masters. It is certainly easier to dominate a population receptive to mental conditioning, than one that is not. It is an interesting topic..." Max tore a chunk of the baked bread loaf he'd gotten to eat with his soup:

"Hey Lisa, do you think the people of the Destiny will help us?." He changed the topic all of a sudden.

"I don´t know Max. I didn´t like how the meeting with Captain Sparks ended. And although I insisted to Rick that he shouldn´t disclose our history on the first meeting, damage is done now. I'm afraid that for now, we are dependent on what she decides..."

One of the officers approached the table:

"Admiral Hayes, there's an urgent communication from the "Quarantine Zone" for you". That's how they had called the deck area where the foreign cargo ship was stationed.

"Thanks corporal..." the rank insignias on his shoulder defining him as such:

"... but now is ambassador only."

"With all due respect ma'am... you will always be Admiral for us. Am I dismissed?" he asked.

"Thanks. Continue your duty, corporal." she said with her most cheerful tone and smile. The officer saluted and turned to attend his own chores.

Both Sterlings smiled to her:

"The herd still cares about you, even if you officially no longer take care of it," said Max.

"Something I thank them for with all my heart ... I'll see you later. Let's see if Captain Sparks has already made a decision..."

Lisa rose from the table to approach the video link, where the deck chief reported that Captain Sparks had come out of the ship and wanted to talk to both her and the Admiral. Lisa acknowledged the message and left in a hurry.

Upon exiting the elevator leading to the deck, she noticed that the usual rumor of people working was not present. Her husband probably had given the order to leave them alone for a while. She found Rick near the ship, flanked by a soldier and behind them, Sparks, Cho Li and Huxley, who had received medical attention and was in a better shape:

"Captain, glad you decided to join us again!," she said, sweating a very real enthusiasm.

"Thank you, Ambassador. Guess I've taken more time than what was convenient..."_ s_aid the woman and then approached to them, releasing a long breath and speaking in a softer voice:

"I must express my sincere condolences for all that you have been through. Given what i know of my people, if my land had suffered what yours had, who knows if we had had the strength to stand up again..."the look of the girl showed a genuine sadness.

"We thank you deeply, Captain. It's a fate no one deserves... Does that mean you agree to help us?."_ S_he tried to steer the conversation to the point that interested her.

"You know, I have still some doubts about the help I can give to you, but I believe in that old adage: "Noblesse oblige". I will lend my support, as you have kindly assisted us previously. But I fear the help I can give you is rather limited..."She said as she walked to her ship, the group looking at her leaning down on the hull of the transport, caressing it like a docile pet. The REF technicians had done a good job in repairing it, even if it was only apparent in the hull.

After that she turned to them:

"...Despite everything, I am only a sub-contractor who commands a transport ship for a large company, in a very competitive galaxy. However, the formal powers of the galaxy could provide more resources..." she flashed a wide grin.

"We couldn't ask for any more from you Miss Sparks. Who are these formal powers that you make reference to?"asked Rick.

She came forward to them, throwing her red wavy hair back:

"When humanity... I mean humanity in this dimension, began traveling through the stars, they met with a group of aliens who had taken residence in a gigantic space station, a functional relic of an ancient race that dominated the galaxy until more or less fifty thousand years ago. It is known as The Citadel. The races that make up "The Council", the organization that governs it, are the prolocutors for several peoples' policies regarding issues of capital importance. At the present time we are in league with them, and much of the scientific and technical knowledge of this universe is in their possession. If anyone can help you, that is The Council!."

"I understand your point of view Captain, but let me ask you something: Why are we being redirected to a group of aliens, instead of being led to its equivalent on Earth?... why not negotiate with the Human Systems Alliance?"Rick asked, curious by the fact that the girl in front of him didn´t think of the government of Earth as her first resource.

Captain Sparks sighed for a moment. Cho and Huxley tossed looks at each other but said nothing. Lisa just thought whatever the reason, it wasn´t often discussed...

"I have reasons to believe that asking for help to the Systems Alliance maybe dangerous and inconvenient for you..."_ - _she said in a tone of cool determination. Lisa raised an eyebrow. What the Captain said had caught her attention.

"I´m sorry, what do you mean by that?," the ambassador stole the question the Admiral was about to make.

"I mean that your technology is in some ways more advanced than ours. And the fact that it can fall into the wrong hands, which unfortunately have become commonplace in the Alliance, would be a tremendous disruption of the status quo, and a threat to all beings, humans included..."

" If I may have a word in it Captain... I think you're exaggerating!. We humans aren't as bad as we look!" Officer Huxley said. Sparks turned to see him.

"That I believe, Huxley. But it is as if suddenly you invent a dangerous toy and hand it out to everyone around you. How much time do you think it would take 'till mankind abuses of it ?. In my opinion, not that much. I won't be responsible for any bad consequences that decision may have!."

Lisa nodded silently. She had imagined something like that. Growing up in a military family, obsessed with the supremacy of humanity, was in itself a lesson about the many virtues, flaws and failures of human character. The images of her father, the late Admiral Donald Hayes and Supreme Commander Anatole Leonard, who both advocated full-scale war with the Zentraedi and the Masters, roamed her head.

There were things that didn´t change, no matter what galaxy you were in.

Jenny continued:

"I understand that you may distrust my word. In other circumstances I would have taken you to my father, a senior high-ranking officer on Earth. But we parted ways in bad terms, and despite what I told you, may sound as vague as it comes, I´m sure I´m acting in your best interest telling you that it is best to approach the Council. There are more chances of success with them"

"That is a most strange decision Captain. Do you have any reason to distrust High Command of the Earth?," asked Rick.

Jenny spent some time explaining how the Alliance managed things around. His explanation seemed convincing to some extent, but it didn't let Lisa completely satisfied. When she finished, both Hunters excused themselves, promising to return with her once a decision had been made. They talked about it alone for half an hour, making conjectures. They soon concluded that there were things the red-haired girl was not telling them but, at this stage of the game, any help they could gain would be welcome. They would take Sparks' warning with a grain of salt...

When they returned to the ship, Jenny was reviewing the blueprints of the ship in her omnitool, verifying that repairs had been made according to what she had specified. She turned to see them:

"O.k. Captain. You trusted us and we will trust you. However we know you're not telling us everything. At some point we're going to need more details about those evil hands of the people in the Alliance that you mention." said Lisa. She approached and shook hands with the read-headed woman.

"I´ll let you in on the details Mrs. Hayes, I promise!. I don't expect you to believe me just because I say so. However at the time I don't have proof of what I say. However I have a small department on the Citadel where I have stashed some documents to verify the truth of my claims." said the redhead, feeling more committed than ever.

"Well... so be it. We'll go to the Citadel and see those documents. In the meantime be welcomed aboard again!." the Admiral said, shaking hands with her.

* * *

Rick Hunter finished his daily review of the ship and headed for the bridge, jogging lightly through the aisles. He had been overseeing the repair of the SDF-3 during the last fifteen days and had concluded that making contact with the humans of this universe, had boosted the morale of both crews. They were progressing with the work very quickly. Dr. Lang however, claimed that it was not possible to address all of the structural flaws of the hull of the huge ship, and made special emphasis on the existence of special electronic components for which they had no adequate material resources even though they had the facilities to manufacture them.

The sub-light propulsion and folding systems were functional, but the ship was severely limited in their ability of attack and defense. While the omnidirectional barrier still worked at a respectable sixty percent of capacity, one of the two synchrocannons that were their main weapon, was not yet operational due to the lack of those specific components the science officer spoke of.

Jenny Sparks had assured him that there was a large supply of raw materials in the Citadel, and expressed her full confidence that the resources that were needed, could be found there. Lieutenant Commander Penn and certain personnel of the crew had been carefully handpicked to serve as liaison officers with the other humans, while the Asian Third Officer Cho Li, acted as her counterpart.

The result was that the two groups were beginning to integrate slowly, but surely. They had established a friendly coexistence with the captain´s group, who had taught them the different perceptions of this new universe, while the REF technicians helped them repair their vehicle and talked about their own ways. They still had the occasional quarrels and misunderstandings, and in many cases the liaison officers had to be consulted on matters that were hinted, could affect the company they worked for.

All in all Lisa commented that integration was taking place without any severe problems. It became even faster when Jenny decided, in a gathering with her group, that they would stop working for that company.

Intelligence officials had spent many hours studying the footage that the Sterlings had brought when they rescued the Destiny. At some point even the Captain was required, due to her extensive military background, to be consulted on certain issues regarding the aliens.

Rick had eagerly devoured the reports of the liaison officers, especially those of Medicine and Engineering. He was able now to hear about medigel, without looking as if he was being spoken in some obscure alien tongue. He also learned how an omnitool worked. And let´s not mention the extensive report of Science, on the first studies of "element zero" and the mass effect core reactors. The chief scientist made a series of preliminary comparisons to their own systems and concluded that they could serve as an interesting replacement for Reflex reactors in a pinch. Considering adapting such systems to the SDF-3 however, was not in short-term plans.

Just the same as Lisa, his interest was more focused on the social nuances, -technology was the strong suit of Dr. Lang, after all-.

He had studied more about the progress of humanity after year 2010. Lisa and her aides had chatted at length with Officer Huxley and Communications Officer Velázquez, who had the highest degree of knowledge of the history of mankind. Their talks were the most fascinating: Hearing about how men had managed not to kill each other and form a coalition to explore the stars, was a most comforting thought. Life with the aliens was also interesting, and although the crew of the Destiny was one hundred percent human, he had studied the records of new species awaiting them in this universe, using everything he could get his hands into, given the little general information the freighter had.

They had also discovered that the timescale was not exactly the same. For the inhabitants of this dimension, the Earth year was 2183, not the 2044 of his home universe.

These differences and some others, had left Dr. Lang scratching his head more than once, and in the company of the scientists from the ship, had tried to figure out the inner workings of this new reality. Gradually the old robotechnologist´s inquisitive mind began to assemble the pieces, but it was too early to find the answer to the question of how to get home. That is, if Vince Grant was able to reach the fleet on time and there even was a home left to return to...

Now, leaving behind the hallways and entering the control room, to make a further fold jump, he wondered if he had ever imagined the strange situation they were in.

They initially opted for traveling through the mass relay systems to the Widow Nebula. But when the ship approached the massive structure -which definitely left stunned more than one person-, they found, in singular confusion, that the systems of the big fork-shaped interstellar drive were not responding to their presence -and the good doctor couldn´t wait to test and learn more about the fascinating transport system, but at the time there was no useful information to take advantage from-.

After nearly an hour of discussions and ideas, Lang suggested that they would need to send the MSV Destiny ahead, -relay systems were acknowledging the ship after all-. It was suggested they use the star charts of the cargo ship, but the navigation computers were partially damaged and having them repaired and making the appropriate conversion between the two navigational systems, would be a very slow process. Huxley, who had spent most of his life sailing between the stars, was sure however to be able to bring them up to the Exodus mass relay. From there they could jump to Arcturus, then to some other intermediate relay and then connect to the Widow Nebula.

The ship would be leaving with a set of pointing beacons. Upon reaching the vicinity of the relays, all they had to do was to position the probes and turn them on -"_like the trail of crumbs Hansel and Gretel left",_ he said-. They would locate the device with their long-range sensors, getting precise coordinates of where to make the jump.

Technical staff worked on the gadgets for a few hours testing them to determine that they could detect the signals. When the doctor was satisfied, they were given to Jenny Sparks...

It was the fourth day since the Captain had left. If their calculations were correct, Jenny had arrived at the Citadel at least two days ago. They were in their fourth jump now and the safety deadline for using the folding system again, without causing a catastrophic failure, was about to expire.

"_Sitrep."_ He questioned Adelle, the brown haired flight controller replacement, in calm manner, as he went to sit on the command chair.

"Sir: Lieutenant Commander Penn is on her way over here with Officer Cho Li. They were reviewing some of the final considerations before jumping into the Widow system. Furthermore, Engineering reports that the folding system is ready to be used again. Air Group is ready to be deployed on your order. Ground Forces and all other decks are on alert and awaiting your orders in the event of a hostile situation..."

"My wife and the Sterlings?"

"Here we are Rick!" the voice of his friends came from behind, with the sound of the door opening.

"That leaves only our missing liaison officers,"he said, a little impatience in his voice.

The door opened again and the blond Penn and the Asian Cho came inside quickly.

"Liaison officers Penn and Li reporting!"both saluted the mature officer, even if only one of them was required to do so.

"At ease." he said and then turned to the Asian:

"Mr. Li, if your report is reliable, we must assume we will find a space station at least forty miles long, defended by a fleet of at least five hundred ships of all possible classes, including a dreadnought of at least four kilometers..."

"That's right sir. The "Destiny Ascension" is probably the largest ship I've ever seen, and the power of her mass accelerator is enough to disembowel a human ship without any trouble."

"Outnumbered and outgunned once again... if our mission wasn´t a diplomatic one, I would indulge myself in the luxury of feeling sorry for them..." Miriya launched an undeterred sarcasm. Cho Li turned to see the woman with a severe expression of mixed disapproval and awe.

Lisa was quick to calm the young officer, by reminding him that it was not even remotely the worst situation they had been in. They went over the plan once again. After the folding maneuver, they would launch several communication messages to the station, hoping Captain Sparks had done her job and had established contact with the right people to help them.

If the first contact protocol the captain stated was right, the aliens would wait a bit before attacking. Otherwise they would have to raise the omnidirectional barrier and pray that their enemies would tire from throwing stones at them, before the barrier system discharged itself in a huge surge of energy that would destroy everything within a two hundred kilometer radius, to avoid a catastrophic overload...

"Ready on your mark, Sir"said Adelle

"Three... two... one... mark!"

"Starting jump protocol. Attention all decks: Countdown begins for folding into the Widow system in a minute,"the voice of the controller had a tone of controlled emotion.

"Folding system reaching twenty-five percent of charge and rising..."had said Karen, taking an alternative position to that of Adelle. Old habits often die slowly.

Max Sterling led Cho Li to a seat on the far left side of the bridge, near a row of system controllers. The young man´s face was pale. No doubt he had just realized how badly things could turn out.

Lisa and Miriya sat near them, while Adelle announced that implementation of the jump would begin in thirty seconds. Karen added that the system charge had reached fifty-five percent. The seconds appeared to be eternal...

"Folding in twenty seconds!"

"System charge at eighty-five percent!"

"Folding in ten... nine... eight... seven... six..."

"Folding charge at one hundred percent. Introducing navigational coordinates. Coordinates ready!"

"...three... two... one... initiating jump"

If someone had been able to see the ship from the outside, he would have noticed the SDF-3 being wrapped in a giant sphere of light that illuminated the space around for several kilometers, engulfing the entire ship and falling back on itself, only to fade away without the slightest trace a second later.

Inside the ship, it was as if time had been elongated, while a huge amount of light came in through the bridge´s visual field. Lisa approached to the command chair, along Rick and sat down beside him, taking his hand. The Admiral turned to see her for a few seconds and flashed that familiar smile that was so comforting as well. The young woman grabbed his hand, and focused on the deep but comforting look. A known feeling for both suddenly invaded them. Time was returning to its normal flow, but the light hadn´t still dissipated all around.

Certainty that a new adventure was about to begin, bid them welcome...

* * *

Next chapter: We go back to both Commander Shepard and the ship The Archangel...

JC: You had it right!, apologies for a little slip... corrected year in script, it was 2187, the real date is 2183. Many Thanks JC!


	4. Three: Come, my friends

**Robotech **and their characters are properties of **Harmony Gold USA Inc.**, **Mass Effect** and their characters are properties of **Bioware**. There´s no economic remuneration gained from this story.

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Si deseas leer esta misma historia en idioma español, por favor checa: **"Sombras de los Segadores"**, en el mismo apartado **Crossovers: Robotech-Mass Effect.**

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Thanks to members Champ11 and one-village-idiot, for placing this story on their alert list. Also, thanks to inuboy86 and JC for their reviews.

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_**Chapter Three:**_

_**...Come, my friends. **_

_**Planet Therum, Knossos system,**_

_Artemis Tau Cluster,_

_Attican Traverse, outskirts of the Perseus Galactic Arm._

The dust of what apparently was red clay, and the loose gravel on the floor of the Protean ruins´research facility, could cause any clueless person to slip on the steep slopes and fall to the ground of the excavations, ten meters below. And such a fall would entail at least a broken bone. Anyone very unlucky could travel all the way and hit some of the sharp edges of the excavation equipment that lay abandoned on the lowest level, in a gruesome spectacle worthy of the pages of any sensationalist, disreputable twentieth-century newspaper.

Ashley Williams considered all that, when she began the descent from the entry hatch to the basement, to the farthest runway. She was the scout of Shepard´s group and it was her duty to check for any potential threats that might arise. Down near the slope, that suggested a dramatic fall for someone not careful enough, was a metal ramp leading to a pretty dirty walkway, and this in turn led to an elevator, old in appearance and which -she was almost certain-, hadn´t received any maintenance in some time. The female soldier descended carefully onto the ramp and once her boots were firmly settled on solid ground, she motioned to her companions, Tali, Garrus and Shepard.

"You can climb down this way without risk of killing yourselves, Commander!."

"Alright Williams!. Let´s do it carefully all of you..."

The three friends began to climb down slowly. First Garrus, whose strong legs and sharp talons gave him enough traction for those steep slopes. Afterwards came Tali, the slender Quarian mechanic, aided by the Turian and finally the strong-built Shepard. They walked in single line through the runway, aiming their weapons at the most probable angles of attack, when suddenly a slight hum, almost imperceptible, upset Ash's ear. A slow movement in the corner of her eye warned her of the danger:

"Geth Drone!"

The combat automaton, oval-shaped, with stabilizers over its body and optical sensors in the front, had detected them and the pulse gun mounted on its casing opened fire. Shepard grabbed both Ashley and Tali and pulled them to the ground, enemy fire bouncing in their kinetic barriers. Garrus, whose reflexes were faster, filled the drone with several shots from his Avenger rifle, fire from his opponent bouncing off his armor. The device fell to the ground just in time to reveal that other six of them were quickly approaching, their guns ready to spray them...

"Commander, there are more coming closer!" shouted the Turian while taking shelter behind one of the metal covers that made up the railing of the catwalk. The shots of the robots were becoming more accurate as they approached.

"Tali, do your stuff!," cried Shepard, while he and Ashley fired over two of the drones, that had approached to outflank their barrier.

The Quarian invoked her omnitool, the orange glow of it bouncing on the visor of her helmet. At breathtaking speed, the woman moved the dial on her remote control, pressing buttons and entering intangible code sequences without blinking. The drones were already over them, when an invisible pulse hit them. A moment later they started throwing sparks and electrical arcs showed over their bodies. Their optical sensors blinked and they stumbled erratically, colliding with each other until their mass effect cores failed and fell. Hearing that, Tali looked up and said in her girl-not-yet-woman voice:

"Was that all?" while retrieving her shotgun.

"Yes, that omnitool of yours is very helpful" said the other alien while peering around him.

"I only changed it a bit..." she said with a bit of false modesty "...but it was good hardware to begin with. Thank Shepard. Without him we wouldn´t have such reliable equipment."

"That´s true Commander. Our equipment is not exactly standard Alliance"Ashley said, while caressing the Volikov rifle she had modified to her liking, -"A piece of perfectly-functional art"-, Garrus said. That earned him points in her short "I-like-aliens" list.

"A mission like this needs good soldiers and good weapons, and even as much as I dislike saying this, the standard equipment of the Alliance is not of particularly high quality." Shepard said.

"Thanks for the compliment Commander, but better thank us once we get your ass out of this mine intact." Ashley, said without making too many concessions, but with a broad smile on her face.

_Something I'm really going to enjoy, s_he thought.

After checking that the coast was clear, they entered the elevator and the military woman pressed the down button. While traveling down, Ashley observed their non-human partners and reflected in silence about them: Strong legs, high ankles characteristic of digitigrade species such as cats or dogs, strong and lightweight bodies. _P__erhaps not so much in the case of Tali,_ thought with malice:

_How can she even walk with that fat ass she carries around?.._.

Another thing they shared was their metabolism. Almost all of the Citadel races had the same tendency to develop left-handed amino-acids. The only exceptions were the Turians and the Quarians, to which Tali belonged.

The similarities however ended there. The giant armor used by Turians gave them a considerable breadth of shoulders. That made her recall her days in Alliance boot camp, in which some of its most intolerant instructors showed her a Turian stripped of his armor. It gave the impression of a strange cross between a bird and a reptile, thin and flaky. It wasn´t a pleasant sight.

Quarians were a mystery. Their immune systems were so weak -nonexistent for all practical purposes-, that they were forced to wear special enviro-suits at all times. Few creatures in the galaxy could remember how they looked beneath those "second skins". Their silhouette was human-like -or at least that's what the suits hinted-. When they were greeted, their faces were concealed by a helmet with a visor of a highly resistant transparent polymer, which was filled with sterile gas, usually covered with a veil made of fine cloth whose embroidered art reminded her of the khimar of the Middle Eastern women on Earth. Their voices were heard always slightly distorted by the speech synthesizers incorporated on their costumes. And let´s not even mention the issue of their fingers and toes...

Garrus and Tali were certainly nice, as nice as members of foreign races could be. But she didn´t entirely approve of the Commander trusting them, and moreover, of him having agreed to accommodate them without restrictions, on a ship that was considered top secret by the Alliance. She had discussed the matter with him in their last friendly conversation -one of several that had happened over that last week-. His answer however, left her unarmed:

"So you think it´s undesirable that the Alliance allows me to have aliens on board the ship, is it not Ash?."

"You make it sound like I´m one of those wacky xenophobic Terra Firma supporters Skipper... but yeah, that's my point. You know that I agree with the decisions that you believe more convenient... its the least I can do after Virmire. But I am certainly struck by your choice..."

"Look Ash, I understand your concern..." he said coming over and taking her hands in a gesture that she didn´t usually allow. In other circumstances she would´ve been the first to put a stop to her commander and remind him about the policy of non-involvement, among soldiers of the Alliance. Since Virmire however, she had realized how important she had become, to the man in which the entire galaxy had pinned their hopes.

"...and one of the privileges of rank is, that you don´t have to explain anything to those who are beneath you. Right now however, I'm not the Commander nor you're the Gunnery Chief, so I think a clarification is in order..."

The Commander adopted a face, trying to strike her as serious without fully hiding his good fun with it.

"At any other time and circumstances, I would be also raising objections, and perhaps I would go as far as to report my superior officer by such failure of complying with the protocol..." he drew a simple smile, to the memory of a past situation that he didn´t share with her, "...but something I've learned throughout my life, is that cooperation between sapient beings of all shapes and colors -blue, green, yellow or red- is an important factor if we want to achieve great things..." said as he leaned on the repair and tunning workstation where she usually worked, in the hangar of the Normandy.

"I understand how you feel: I've seen you looking at Garrus, like you're trying to get into his head to look for the answer as to why Turians are the way they are. You wonder how a nice guy like him belongs to such a militaristic and aggressive race like his. He has never commented it, but I guess he thinks the same of us..." the comment caused a slight reaction of astonishment in the girl.

Then he backed away a little, in a theatrical gesture that nevertheless paid off:

"Look at Wrex and Tali. People are scared of Krogan, considering them barbarians and savages. Wrex himself doesn't give any other impression. Quarians are treated as pariahs. The creatures in the galaxy believe they must perpetually atone for their mistake in creating the Geth, rather than helping them correct it. However, its possible to find the greatness of their people if you are willing to look... If you are willing to see the world with a mind that doesn´t reject what is out there, just because its different from what we were taught..."

He approached her again, standing in front, without invading her personal space, but directing her an intense look that said many things:

"They both understand that, I can say with certainty. And if there is hope for a Krogan that was plunged into despair and sadness for a long time, and for a Quarian whose only crime was being part of a race that made a mistake long time ago, I think there´s also some for us."He finished his monologue in the same position where he started it.

Ashley was unable to stop looking at him, halfway between embarrassment and laughter. She remembered having laughed a little, and when he asked her seriously, if she was mocking him, she explained about the theatricality of his studied expression, clarifying of course that his words deserved the utmost consideration. She promised to reflect about them in calm manner. In many ways it reminded her of the meetings in which her father recited Tennyson´s poetry. The serious gesture that hid countless joy, was of such a familiarity that she couldn´t help but imagine that her father would have liked Shepard...

The elevator stopped and she looked down through the security fence. The unit had not fully descended. Instead it became stranded about one meter from the floor. Shepard removed the fence and Ash jumped down, taking her forward position again. The last basement was full of heavy excavation equipment and it had signs of relatively recent activity. Cleaning materials were scattered on the floor, where archaeologists could have been. At that time however, there was nobody in sight, and the place was in a cautious silence, broken only by a dull humming sound coming from one of the excavated walls.

The soldier woman approached to the source the hum. There, trapped floating in a force field, was a very good-looking girl in a green and white garment, which would pass for a human, if not for her blue-toned skin and fleshy folds over her stylized head. Without much desire she beckoned the Commander to approach.

Shepard walked to the blue barrier, where a cry of despair reached out to him:

"Can you hear me out there?, I'm stuck and need help!" the girl didn´t wait for an answer and replied almost immediately:

"Are you... for real?. Oh no!, don´t be stupid Liara!, humans don´t usually come here. You´re hallucinating... and also talking to yourself!..." a hysterical giggle, barely controlled, took hold of her:

"...Oh Goddess, I'm going to die here!"

Ash just happened to a smile as she, Garrus and Tali watched the scene from behind the Commander, wondering how that spoiled blue girl had been able to get into such a mess. She wouldn´t want to miss that explanation for anything in the world...

* * *

_**Outskirst of planet Virmire, Hoc System**_

_Sentry Omega cluster, Attican Traverse,_

_in the farthest reach of the Centaur Galactic Arm._

Jean Grant, Medical Chief of the Fortress ship "Ark Angel", focused her eyes on the stars in front of her and abandoned herself to contemplation for a few moments. She sat on the gigantic lookout at the bow of the ship, almost alone in the dark, staring at the blackness of the void and at the shining points in it, behind a cover of crysteel glass. There was no one in the lookout at the time, the chairs and leather seats sparsely scattered throughout the room were empty, indicating that the usuals were at work, or enjoyed their breaks elsewhere. Silence in the room was just cut by her almost imperceptible breath.

The petite brunette couldn´t forget the events that had transpired three days ago... _Or had it been four?_. The answer she didn´t know for sure. Doctors were conditioned to act swift and adequately, in order to save the lives of their patients. And everything happened so fast that, when she realized the real passage of time, it had been at least twenty-four hours...

The nurses had moved the man, that the search party rescued on the planet local broadcasts called Virmire. She remembered having been notified in person by her husband, Vince Grant, about their new _host_. When she entered the emergency room, the nurses, spurred on by Head Nurse Mitchell, had proceeded to intubate the patient and were trying to stabilize his vital signs.

He had received several wounds in various organs, and it was a miracle, the fact that his body functioned in such a critical state. Thirty hours of surgery, sweat and cutting-edge techniques of cryogenic storage, mental stasis and flash-cloning, learned from the surgeons and doctors in Tirol, had managed to save his life.

Lt. Col. Grant however, reflected on how miraculous that feat had been, considering she had never seen such a human. The first examinations revealed no abnormalities, but laboratory tests of tissues and genetic information checks revealed something she had not expected. He had been genetically modified to make him strong and resilient. The really striking discovery however, was present throughout his nervous system... Located at certain points along his spine, were a number of nodules no larger than the size of a pea. These bumps sent electrical signals of considerable charge to the brain and the rest of the nervous system.

Jean took tissue samples, and an made a rapid analysis for several classes of pathogens, to avoid being surprised by any rare disease. The samples were negative for any diseases they knew about, so she stored them, thinking about further testing them later, once the initial confusion and bewilderment had subsided. Another shocking reveal was that of a small implant, about the size of a computer chip in the brain of the individual, which seemed to amplify the electrical signals from the nervous system nodes. To what end?, she didn´t know.

She could stabilize the body and transfer back the individual's mind without any apparent memory loss, but she wouldn´t know for sure if he had any significant brain damage until he regained consciousness. The guy had been out of action for three days, and she had ordered a guard of nurses to monitor him at all times. In the last shift, Vince had asked her about the fate of the boy. She wasn't able to give him a certainty...

"Chief Grant..." The voice of the chestnut-haired nurse Mitchell took her from her thoughts.

"What is it Shelley?, has our patient awakened?" asked without turning to see the voluptuous women, thinking that she would be behind her in the threshold of the room, surrounded by backlighting, in her neat white uniform and formal attitude of interest that had made her the second in command.

"Actually, yes..."

That last phrase did wake her up. She would have to notify her husband and proceed to examine the patient. You don´t return from the dead every day...

"Since when?" she asked, getting up from the chair where she was sitting and recovering her data pad.

"About five minutes ago at least. He hasn´t said that much, but he is having a terrible hunger. I have ordered to prepare some supplemental jelly to start testing their response to solids little by little." The ever helpful Shelley Mitchell said.

"Good. I'll be there in a few minutes... I must notify Vince"she approached to the brunette and both left the room. Jean paused a moment, letting her eyes become accustomed again to the prevailing light level in the vast halls of the deck.

"I've notified him myself. He must be on his way to the rehabilitation room at this very moment," the nurse said, typing a few things in her data pad. Update messages probably.

"Girl, surely you want my job... I´m on my way then. Get ahead and bring a set of neurological tests. We'll see how well are his responses to conscious stimuli,"Jean ordered, pausing for a moment, grooming the fringe of her disheveled hair and accommodating the purple ribbon that served as a contrast to her dark blue hair.

"Alright Chief" the chestnut-haired walked away quickly. Truly, Jean knew she didn´t want her job. Shelley already had enough with her own responsibilities. But she was struck by the helpfulness of women. _As if she was born for this!_.

When she reached the door of the room a few minutes and some corridors later, Mitchell was there already, expecting her with a reflexes hammer package and some other neural tests instruments. Next to her was Vince Grant, with his stout figure turning back and forth. Jean was already familiar with this attitude:

"Vince..." told to her husband, watching that familiar face from when he felt anxious about something.

"He´s awake. We have a First Contact situation and diplomacy is necessary... but we must find out as much information as possible and..." grunted the man, breaking into an outburst that she certainly hadn´t seen in him for quite a long time.

"_Vince!." _She had to emphasize to achieve his full attention

"Tell me, my dear?," the look of surprise in his face, hid a mischievous smile.

"Forget that for the time being and let me handle it. Believe me, there is nothing more annoying for a patient than to be harassed with questions"

The captain's face was a mask of bewilderment that softened a moment later.

"Okay, but we know next to nothing of him. You must promise me that if things get ugly you will come out of there without any excuses..." he approached towards her, putting on his considerable muscle to tip the scales in his favor.

"What?... you´re not coming with me?," she teased him. The captain's frowned face was the perfect example of bewilderment.

"Didn´t you say that..."he added, his voice troubled.

"I know what I said and I want you to come with me. Just keep quiet until I introduce you and that´s it!" the look of her eyes was all mischief and his´ was all suspicion. There was a small duel of glares that she won without too much effort.

Vince seriously thought that there were days when commanding the ship was easier than understanding his wife...

One sign of her and the door opened. Both came into the room, where the young Caucasian and handsome man, a bit shorter in stature than her husband, but taller than her, rested lying on his back. His physique was well formed and his short hair arranged in military fashion left no room for doubt about his allegiance. Next to him was an empty plate of what should had been the supplemental jelly Mitchell had ordered for him. The young man sat on his back when he saw them enter:

"Hi, good morning!. Good to see you´re awake. How are you today?" she asked using her most cordial voice tone.

Jean noted the look of confusion on the face of the young man. No doubt the circumstances in which he had come were not exactly the best...

"Thinking properly... hard. My head... it hurts..." said the young man speaking slowly in a whisper. Jean approached him, pulling out a little flashlight of her gown.

"I will examine your basic neurological reactions. Follow the light with your eyes please. Slowly..." She started the device and moved it from left to right. When he had done what she asked, she checked his pulse and temperature. Then she made a test of reflexes with a hammer and afterwards, positioned some brain sensors for a simple MRI test. Jean connected the probes to a machine on the wall and asked him to say certain words and move his arms and legs. After confirming he was fine, she said:

"The feeling of pain and confusion are side effects of the regeneration therapy we used to revive you. I will prescribe an analgesic. Beyond that your reactions seem normal. We still have to do some minimal testing to see if you really are fine, but considering that you came here almost dead, your recovery has been remarkable!."

"Where... am … I?"

"You´re on the Colony Ship "Ark Angel" of the REF. I am Lieutenant Colonel Jean Grant, Chief of Medicine, and this man right here is my husband, Captain Vince Grant, commanding officer of the ship."

"Lieutenant... Kaidan... Alenko. Systems...Alliance Marines. Thanks for... rescuing me." He raised his hand to his temple in a military salute, while Jean provided him a pill for the headache.

"You´re welcome. It's nice to meet you, Lieutenant" Vince said. The guy was a military man through and through, and that made him like him almost instantly.

"I can´t move... my body the... way I used to."

"It's another side effect of this therapy. You'd better rest. The discomfort will pass in a day or two maximum. If you need something, ring the bell..."the Chief of Medicine said, showing him a transmitting device coupled via a cable to the bed:

"Our nurses will care for you. I´ll come back tomorrow to evaluate you more thoroughly. Relax Lieutenant, you´re among friends."

"Thanks." the young man leaned back, to almost immediately rise again:

"Can I have... another serving of that... jelly?, It´s delicious!."

Both officers smiled at that. She nodded without saying anything and then they left the room.

By midnight Jean received an urgent call from the Medical Deck. Bahati Zuala, head of the second shift, told her it was priority one. Inwardly cursing her team's dedication, she rose quietly, leaving her husband lying in bed without disturbing him. She didn´t like getting out of her room in the middle of rack time, but the other black woman was very specific that she should see what was happening.

When she reached the guard post of the Medical Deck, Zuala showed her the picture on the monitor of Lieutenant Alenko´s room. All nurses and some medical residents had gathered in front of the screen, not believing what they saw.

Jean choked back a little scream, clapping a hand to her mouth to contain it. She ran immediately to the door of the room where the boy slept, while ordering Zuala to initiate a remote scan of the patient's vitals. She had to see what the monitor showed, with her own eyes. Upon approaching the sensor, passed her ID over it and the door opened, revealing the spectacle.

There, lying as he was, Kaidan Alenko was surrounded by a blue aura of energy, outlining his body and making the buzzer, clothes and some other small objects floating around. The blue-dyed light that his body was emitting, gave an air of unreality to the scene. The nurses confirmed that the soldier's corpse showed no abnormalities of any kind, except an electric current that ranged through his nervous system. So Jean just watched startled, while the things were moving slowly across the room, wrapped in the same kind of energy that highlighted their shapes, with the same blue light that surrounded the young man. The Chief doctor returned to the guard post and then spoke to the communicator:

"This is Medical Chief Jean Grant: Get me the Captain!... wake him up if necessary!, tell him his wife is calling and is an urgent matter!... Vince!... Wake up and get to the Medical Deck!... no, it can´t wait, you gotta see this!."

* * *

_**Planet Therum, Knossos system,**_

_Artemis Tau Cluster,_

_Attican Traverse, outskirts of the Perseus Galactic Arm._

The anti-infantry ground vehicle M35, known colloquially as the "Mako"for his long, flat snout, shook violently as it tried to evade its pursuers. Several electromagnetic pulses from a group of Geth Colossi made it run, while its occupants were desperately trying to defend themselves. Ashley had taken control of the 155 mm gun and tried to target the offenders, despite the sudden movements Commander Shepard was doing to avoid presenting an easy target. They were trapped in the canyon near the ruins.

While Tali tweaked the controls of the mass effect core of the vehicle to avoid an overload, Garrus helped repairing the damaged movement program of the turret, and Liara was crouching and rolling over herself, trying frantically to keep from screaming at each new abrupt maneuver. The Geth ambushed them after dealing with a Krogan mercenary hired by Saren and escaping the collapse of the underground ruins.

Then, when the Normandy was about to pick them up in a hurry, the enemy drop ship that had hovered over them since their arrival, had appeared from nowhere, opening fire on them and making Jeff Moreau a.k.a. Joker, the sarcastic but skilled pilot, take evasive maneuvers to avoid it.

While the ships fought their own battle in the sky, several Geth armor and infantry units had been delivered to destroy them, causing Shepard´s group to move away from the extraction area to the nearby Mako. The giant, lumbering armatures were quickly left behind, but a lot of combat drones, equipped with pulse weapons and rockets had landed too. Enclosed as they were in a canyon a good three hundred meters long, it was only a matter of time before the circle of siege came to a close and the synthetics killed all of them.

A sharp turn and a spin to avoid a rocky ledge, and Ashley had emptied almost the entire load of mass accelerator cannon on ineffective shots, and warned Garrus in a colorful way to refine the weapon:

"Damn it Turian!, if you don´t hurry to correct that program, there will be nothing left from our sorry asses to rescue!, and don´t tell me your people don´t have asses!." The roaring voice of the Gunnery Chief filled the small car, obscuring the screams of anguish from a delusional Liara.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!, I´m doing it as fast as I can!" said the elongated alien while introducing new instructions on the interface of the cannon.

"There are six of those things left and the combat drones!, Joker, status report!." Shepard boomed in turn, while making another slip and hitting a pair of robots that had closed the circle too soon, with the back of the car.

"[Hold on a little commander!, I've just turned that drop ship to a heap of junk, but I'm away from the area!. One minute to extraction!,]"_ t_he pilot's voice sounded agitated, and on the background of the audio channel, XO Pressly could be heard throwing invectives left and right.

"Hurry Joker, we are not going to last thirty seconds at this rate!"

"[There goes the cripple to save the Alliance Hero!... they will give me a commendation for this!.]"

"Joker!"

The pilot didn't answer anymore, but Shepard knew he would be on time. Shifted gears and made the transport begin to climb a wall, one which in theory it couldn´t scale. That didn´t stop him from trying though. Sometimes the sturdy tank caught him by surprise with its power and versatility.

"Commander!, the mass effect reactor is coming dangerously close to its limit!. I don´t know how much more i can... Keelah!" Tali said from behind, a power spike bringing her back to his omnitool quickly.

"Cannon ready to shoot!" shouted Garrus, while Liara´s shrieks became more acute and noticeable.

"Good riddance!. Target acquired!, Firing!" Ashley roared.

The cannon boomed again and another of the armatures fell, shattered. The combat drones fired on the vehicle, but the battered kinetic barrier stopped almost every shot. Those who were not bounced or stopped, got stuck in the thick armor of the six-wheeled tank. Several electromagnetic pulses shook the vicinity of the transport without directly hitting it. Liara was ejected against the inner wall, hitting her head. Garrus fell to the ground, feeling energy tickle the edges of his scales. Tali tried to maintain balance, but failed miserably and fell on him. Ash could barely stand, holding herself strongly to the controls of the turret as she felt her bristling. Shepard made miraculous things to keep the vehicle in motion:

"Joker!" despair was shining through the voice of the military man.

"[Arriving to extraction area!. Hostile presence on the ground!. Engaging!]"

In the viewfinder Ash could see the enormous silhouette of the Normandy coming over the armature group. A disruptor torpedo shot from the ship, crashing into the ground. The mass effect field designed to destroy the hull of a spacecraft, brought down the structures of almost all Geth drones and armor, ripping them violently and reducing their opponents to a mere scrap.

"[Did you miss me, boys?,]" was all that came through the comms system. Shepard grinned a half smile, that could mean either "thanks" or a new invective, while driving the tank towards the ship.

Joker lowered the ship and deployed the ramp just in time for the recovery, while Wrex and some marines were posted at the entrance of the hangar, repelling the few synthetics that tried to enter the ship by surprise. The tank entered the ship and literally expired when it was turned off. The ramp was retrieved and the gate closed. The ship climbed up, leaving the battle.

"Next time, remind me not to reject an invitation to one of your missions Shepard!. You really know how to have fun!" the krogan said, while tapping lightly the chassis of the Mako.

"Surely Garrus will also have fun on the way back. This will require more than just calibrations, isn't it?" Tali said scathingly, when they left the carriage and watched the show.

The Turian couldn´t believe it. The fire had scorched parts of the armor, leaving the mechanisms exposed. The secondary gun was irreparable and the main gun was melt and damaged in several places. The main body was dripping fluids and the tires were consumed.

The Mako had been reduced to a coffin on wheels, from which they had miraculously exited unscathed...

The Requisitions Officer that worked near the elevator over the hangar, normally engaged in reviews of the ship's stores, whistled sharply from his post when he saw the pile of junk that had become the once proud tank. Took a data pad and handed it to Garrus who just moved his protruding jaws without making any noise. On his face, however, countless emotions passed by.

Ashley helped the Commander to carry the Asari to the Medical Deck. She had fainted because of the severe blow she received in the head during the ordeal. While Dr. Chakwas verified the integrity of the alien and confirmed her deteriorating health, Ashley approached Shepard, who was sitting in a chair in front of the infirmary, in the mess hall:

"Do you have a minute sir?. I´d like to have a word..."

"Can it wait after the debriefing Chief Williams?. Believe I have ordered everyone to take care of any injuries."

"I'm not hurt sir. Plus it seems that our new alien partner needs more the aid. I can´t hear Dr. Chakwas in there, but i read in her lips that she was quite malnourished. Tali and Garrus will also need a thorough check-up..."

"Okay Williams. I'll byte. What´s going on?"

"Permission to speak freely sir..."

"Why do I have the feeling that i´m not liking what you have to tell me?... Permission granted Ash. Do you think I missed some detail of the history of our new protegé?"

"No Skipper. It's not about Dr. T´Soni..." though Ash took good care not to comment about the impression the Asari had given her. If she tried to be fair, her delusions -which were so vast as to bend down on her knees, begging Shepard not to turn her to the Krogan Battlemaster they found in the ruins-, could be attributed to the fact of having been confined in suspension for at least ten days. But Liara gave the impression -perhaps unjustified- that she had a fragile mind, not made for the rigors of battle that awaited them.

She tried to leave her prejudices aside and focused on the point that really interested her:

"It is rather about you Commander..."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. It was unlike Ashley Williams, to be wondering about the conduct of his commanding officer, -It wasn´t even like her to show other else than an attitude of professional soldier-, and she had done so at least twice in the last week. This -even though it secretly pleased him-, could be a problem...

"What´s wrong Ash?. Since Virmire you haven´t stopped asking about me, and you have come to question even some futile things..." He said, adding in a tone of sarcasm:

"I´m under the impression, that the policy of non-involvement of the Alliance is becoming a nuisance to you..."

"Ja!, dream on Shepard!..."she paused for an almost imperceptible second, adding swiftly:

"...But it's true that you look very worried nowadays. Don´t get me wrong... you _always_ seem too worried. But considering the visions of the Protean beacon in your head and the information we got on Feros... and let's not forget that we don´t know where Saren is now, you look more worried than usual."

Shepard approached to her, trying to talk quietly. His short black hair and masculine features were suspended near her face. If she wanted to kiss him -and God how she desired it!-, she would only have to lift her face and take his lips. It was only a matter of deciding...

"And how did you notice Ash?,"that got her out of her reverie. Ashley pulled herself together and said quietly:

"Female intuition, Skipper. If I had to mention a reason, I´d say you've been concerned that the Council has not responded to the report of Virmire. Normally the affairs of the Specters tend to have priority, so you are surprised we haven´t received any message. More so if we consider that we detonated an improvised nuclear weapon on a garden planet. Something the Turian counselor should be RANTING. WILDLY. ABOUT." She added keeping her distance, which was costing her a lot.

"You're right. Joker reported that the news channels were congested and even the Extranet is paralyzed, which means that multiple nodes aren´t working. Only the Council can procure a blockade of that magnitude!." Shepard leaned on one of the tables, getting away of her a little.

"Do you think Saren has attacked the Citadel?... it would be suicide!" claimed the soldier, unsure. Light was made in the eyes of the Commander, but if he believed Williams assumption to be correct, he said nothing.

"Not if you consider that he has the Geth working for him, and there´s also the matter of Sovereign... but if that had happened, we would have been summoned by now. No... there´s something else." he commented.

"Commander..."the phlegmatic British accent of Dr. Chakwas, standing at safe distance, interrupted them:

"Dr. T'Soni is malnourished, but in no serious condition. My recommendation is that we let her rest for at least a day. I will see to it that she be administered intravenous food, and if I know right the Asari physiology, tomorrow she will be able to answer your questions."

"I accept your recommendations doctor. Thanks."

Once he answered, the mature woman turned around and returned to Medical with the dignity and grace of a heron.

"[Commander...]"came the teenager-like voice of Joker, through the mess hall´s speaker.

"You´re highly sought today, Skipper..." Ashley said smiling.

"So it seems..." the disgust in Shepard's voice was apparent:

"What is it Joker?"

"[A message from the Council has just arrived. We are being ordered to return to the Citadel. It wasn´t a personal message. Rather a distress call...]"

The two soldiers crossed looks and then the Commander said:

"Set course to the Citadel, Joker. Hopefully it's nothing too serious!" he couldn´t hide the tension in his voice.

"[Right away Commander!]"the comms channel closed and Shepard, turned to her:

"Our conversation has just taken an unexpected turn"he said moving away to his room.

"_Come, my friends, 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world" _the murmur was audible only to him.

"More poetry, Williams?" he turned to her with a smile.

"Lord Tennyson may have the answer you need, Skipper..." she walked past him, turning to her own locker.

"I hope so Ash..."

_I hope so._

* * *

Next: The situation previous to the SDF-3 arrival.

As always sirs, i´m interested in knowing what you think of this story, any suggestions, characters or plot bunnies for consideration. Corrections of any nature are welcome (however you would need to explain it). Also if you are interested in having this story for a C2, just send me a mail to ask for it. Thanks.


	5. Four: The day the Citadel stopped

**_Robotech and their characters are properties of Harmony Gold USA Inc., Mass Effect and their characters are properties of Bioware. There´s no economic remuneration gained from this story._**

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Si deseas leer esta misma historia en idioma español, por favor checa **"Sombras de los Segadores"**, en el mismo apartado **Crossovers: Robotech-Mass Effect.**

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I´d like to extend my sincere thanks to (checks a list): raazz (boy, this certainly has taxed me, but the result, along with the next chapter, will be better (i guess...)), Dutch reader, The DCG, and hydrianway1013 for their comments.

To hydrianway1013: Indeed your comments about the way the Council fights interstellar wars strike true. The REF on the other hand... the alternate story for Mass Effect 2 with the REF presence in this universe is going to be "alternative" indeed. And I wouldn't be worrying too much about the kinetic arms VS barriers issue, at least for the Veritechs (you´ll see next chapter!)...

As for the people favoring this story: Celestrail, stark40763, Wolfman-053, croxeye and Egon Bach... Thanks!, it certainly has gone ahead of my expectations.

Last but not least: The people who have "alerted" this story: Celestrail (again), rinshi264, stark40763 (again), Arandrell, alichi and Fraser mage... hope i can meet your expectations guys!

If i forgot any of you guys, please don´t take offense, just let me now, so i can issue a proper apology the next chapter...

OKAY, enough of this... on to the chapter!

* * *

**_Chapter Four:_**

_**The day the Citadel stopped. ** _

_J.F.K. Housing Complex, apartment 127_

_Zakera Ward, The Citadel._

_0600 hours, local time_

He reluctantly opened his eyes. With a thick voice, gave the order to the virtual intelligence of his apartment, to open the curtains. He covered himself with the sheets and said a thousand times he didn´t want to get up yet, but his military training came into play quickly. David Edward Anderson, captain of the Alliance, hero of the First Contact War, mentor of Commander Shepard (the first human Spectre) and rumored failed candidate to the same elite corps, didn´t want to leave his room under any circumstances. He missed the loud sound and excitement of the engines, the vibration of FTL travel, the constant bustle of the small decks of warships... but more than anything else, he longed leading any group of men patrolling the unexplored places of the galaxy, looking for enemies that might threaten the future of humanity.

He accepted reluctantly to serve as advisor to Chancellor Udina, to perform the ungrateful shit called "Politic relations with the Council", but that "was not the way he would have preferred to spend his last years", as he had told his pupil before he left. He continued with the spartan routine that he had self-imposed since he resigned forcefully from the command of the Normandy SR-1, but civilian life was not one for him.

A moment of indulgence later, he rose up and walked to the bathroom. Washed his face with cold water and then got dressed to start running his daily twenty kilometers that helped him keep his body steely and his awareness focused. As he trotted through the Presidium buildings, opposite the Tower of the Council and leaving behind the Financial Sector and the Embassy Area, his mind flew to the days of the First Contact War. He didn´t want miss his old life, but after having enjoyed a reputation among Alliance officials, he missed the moments when the eyes of the High Command were upon him. His mind wandered especially to the shapely figure of an attractive woman with shoulder- lenght blond hair:

_- Wherever you are Kahlee, I hope it's better than all this crap -_

Kahlee Sanders... Jon Grissom's secret daughter, old hero of the military.

He remembered that they had made good chemistry, for the short time they were together. It happened after his divorce, when he was assigned an investigation involving the Dah'tan Manufacturing Company. There he met her, and despite not starting on very good terms, got along quite well afterwards. He had to rescue her from the hands of a traitor to the Alliance, who had caught and taken her to an eezo refinery on the planet Camala. Despite the dirty trick of Saren Arterius (at the time his fellow soldier and exemplary operative of the Council, before it was revealed his betrayal), they got away with it (if you don´t take into account his destroyed reputation). However Kahlee had to leave him due to her assignment to a secret high-priority project for the military and he hadn´t seen her since. Anderson sighed the least about his past life than about seeing her again. But he didn´t let that cloud his view.

An hour later he returned to his apartment, had showered and was dressed in the standard uniform of the Alliance Navy. While finishing a frugal breakfast consisting of fruit and a bowl of cereal he prepared mentally for the day.

He had to support Donnel Udina in an important negotiation with the ambassador of the Volus, due to a planet discovered in the Attican Traverse, suitable for colonization by that race. It was in territory ceded to the Alliance, but the complaining aliens had contested the movement, arguing that the "Earth-clans" wouldn´t be able to get the best of the planet. The Council had encouraged the human ambassador to negotiate with his counterpart, but any talk of this kind had to be done very carefully. The Volus, a race financially savvy (inventors of the Banking Act of the Citadel, and ones that a scathing human journalist had called "the Space Jews", in a display of extreme political incorrectness), were legally protected by the Turians, one of the Council races.

He wasn´t doubting the political competence of the current ambassador for these matters, but it wouldn´t be any picnic.

Tasted the bitter cup of black coffee brought from Brazil, a drink that he got used to take strong, and which officially ended any breakfast. While savoring the acrid taste in his mouth, he wondered if he had become fan of the brew, as a reminder of the bitterness of his current circumstance. He allotted no time for those thoughts and rose from the table, leaving the dishes in the washing machine. There was half an hour before the meeting and knowing Udina, he sure would like to review his sale strategies...

* * *

_ExoGeni´s private dock number twenty-two, The Citadel_

_Serpent Nebula, near the Widow star_

_Sagittarius Galactic Arm._

_1000 hours Citadel time._

Carina Velázquez visibly relaxed as officer Huxley maneuvered the "Destiny" in a gentle manner, until the hull of the ship made contact with the mooring´s magnetic clips. He kept it fixed as the entry hatch connected with the insulating corridor for landings, with a motion so smooth that the ship seemed to have exactly the perfect fit:

_- Excellent docking Mr. Huxley -_ said as she threw him a smile. The official was older than her, but not enough to look like her father. And she had to admit it: She liked older men, better than the often spiteful and vain kids that filled the recreational areas of the Citadel. The green-eyed blond thanked her with a bow and instructed the V.I. of the ship, to place the star-drives on standby.

She was going to miss him when she nailed down her transfer to another freighter.

_- Enough of praises Mr. Huxley. More of them and you´re going to swell so much that you will burst. Better go out and give the welcome to the ExoGeni technicians who will arrive to collect their property, but by no means let them enter the cabin thirty-six - _said the captain, pointing to the back storage while rising from her seat of command to go to her cabin. They used to store the spare parts of the ship in that chamber, and had considered it prudent to store the last Robotech beacon there. But the ExoGeni people were considerably curious, and the least she wanted was having the wrong people asking the wrong questions...

_- Okay - _told the blond officer taking the communicator and then asked Velázquez to open a channel:

_- Storage specialists: Get the carrying appliances out and start transporting the materials. Make sure everything is properly packed for delivery and checking in the warehouse. ExoGeni belongings must be out of here at 1130 hours at most -_

_- Wow Mr. Huxley!, your promotion from Head of Storage to First Officer suited you fine!... - _Carina said, playfully.

_- Laugh it girl, but I used to be XO of a ship of the Eastern India... -_ he said drawing the already familiar grin used to show off about his past achievements.

_- Delivering Company... yes, I remember too well Mr. Huxley. You never tire of telling the same story. It is curious that you never mention that the delivery company went bankrupt shortly before you left it -_ she added unimpressed.

_- Disrespectful girl, I must teach you some manners -_ he said, approaching her, a smile betraying his intentions.

_- Uuh, I'm desperately looking for that! -_ ended the girl with the same mischievous smile.

_- I think the rules of non-involvement with co-workers suit perfectly this situation. Mr Huxley: Instead of giving free rein to your basic instincts, get to work. You too Velázquez. Just because this is your last day on board, doesn´t mean that I will stop exploiting your sorry ass until the very last moment -_ said Jennifer Sparks, half serious, half joking.

_- I'm going to miss you too captain -_ the gesture of sarcasm in the face of the Latin girl said it all.

_- Aw! shut up and go do your job -_ she said, pulling the two young people out of the ship.

They let the airlock perform the opening cycle and later, crossing the threshold, they found the ExoGeni transport group, many of them old acquaintances. Both women swiftly welcomed the group and let them pass, while the first officer appeared to coordinate the disembark. Jenny then noticed a tall, stocky, brown-haired man, with a scowl, that came straight to them:

_- Captain Sparks!... what a surprise!, we began to fear that we would have to pay ransom for our possessions in Trebin -_ said in a reedy voice, which seemed a mockery of the massive size of his pecs and biceps, but not therefore less venomous.

_- Chief Miller!, it is also good to see you!. To what honor do we account having the least graceful of the ExoGeni employees to address us? -_ said the redhead with no less poison in her words. Carina closed her eyes. The animosity between the two was a thing of legend, despite only having one year of being coworkers.

_- Are you kidding Sparks?, we were expecting this shipment about a week ago! -_ The man advanced toward her, his height contrasting sharply with that of the redhead, in an intimidating gesture that made no dent in the mind of the girl.

_- Stay away from me Miller!. I had to battle with pirates from the Terminus Systems last week to return here, including a ship of the Blue Suns and I'm not in the mood to hear any of your nonsense now - _said the former soldier undaunted. The huge man was about to reply, but a message of his omnitool stopped him.

_- [Chief Miller, report to the Office of Personnel please] -_ the voice that was broadcast on the radio had a strong foreign accent, that none of them could identify.

_- We´ll meet again later Captain Sparks, I promise - _the giant said sarcastically and walked his massive body through the disembark gateway.

_- How do you do it? -_ asked Velázquez, once the man was away, causing Jenny, who was about to open a side door of the ship, to stop and turn around to see her surprised.

_- What? -_

_- Holding the verbal skirmish with Chief Miller and continue as smiling as before, how do you do it? - _

_- Cari ... - _she said using the name of endearment used only when she wanted to give her a lesson_ - ...when I enlisted for service as a Marine, there was at Fort Upham, an instructor who was a real demon, Chief Ellison. He could hit a target from half a mile with the standard Lancer rifle, between the eyebrows, five times in five. It was foul-mouthed as few, and strong as an oak, as well as a master of personal combat. It was he who made me a decent soldier. His training was the most strenuous that the Alliance could offer and if you survived it, nothing could hurt you. Honestly, after I graduated with him Miller just makes me laugh - _

_- Wow, such a man! -_ commented the brunette thinking about the kind of companies that the captain had frequented.

_- Besides he could drink one full barrel of malt beer by himself as if taking a glass of water. I learned many tricks from him. So i´m not allowing a slag, a tenth as good as that great man was, to ruin my day... - _she pointed to the direction in which the nasty brown-haired had gone_ - ...that reminds me, tonight I'll invite you to this new place that I promised to take you when you enrolled with us -_

_- Captain, you shouldn´t bother... -_ the Latin girl said while working.

_- It is no trouble, and considering that you have become the younger sister I never had, it´s a must. So do the paperwork you have to do and i´ll see you at 1930 in the Flux club. Today's ladies´ night! -_ the redhead Sparks interrupted her treating her to a light slap. Her smile disarmed her.

_- Okay -_ said the Latin girl combing her hair and sketching a kind gesture.

-_ Now we must hurry. You heard Huxley: Everything must be out by 1130 -_

_- Yes, ma'am -_

* * *

_ExoGeni´s private dock number twenty-two, The Citadel_

_1200 hours Citadel time._

Jenny Sparks jumped up when she finished making the last payment procedure of her crew. They had spent several tight days , but with this latest work, her contract with the company ended, and they might employ themselves with the highest bidder at their own discretion. She turned on the seat of her cabin and told Sean Huxley to come over, for instructions:

_- Take away the ship and seek place in the public bays. After that activate the last locator beacon. We were delayed more than necessary in Arcturus and i´d prefer not to further delay the arrival of Admiral Hunter and his ship -_ she rose from her chair and approached outside her cabin.

It was true. They had already lost an entire day and a little more, because of the wrong procedure in the paperwork at Arcturus Transit Station. And the time promised to the old soldier was running out quickly. They would not lose any more time.

She released one last order:

_- By the way, you already have the leave roll, so assign a skeleton crew on duty, and make sure i don´t see the others for fifteen days, local time. God knows they deserve it after everything we went through. Take care also to warn the relatives of the deceased Senner and the others - _

_- As you wish captain, although I don´t think the crew may want to leave... you know ... because of the SDF-3 coming here ... -_ Huxley reviewed the ground leave manifest. Jenny frowned and approached to the Caucasian, in a gesture somewhere between serious and threatening:

_- Huxley... we all have tickets for the main event, but the opportunities to see it from luxury boxes are not available to everyone, so if necessary, throw them out the hatch of debris and let them see it from space if they want. Just make sure they don´t do it aboard my ship, right? -_ the frank laughter of the officer told her he had understood it correctly. She turned to see her communication´s officer and added:

_- Velázquez?, Isn´t it time you go to submit your performance reports to the company? -_ beckoned to the brunette.

The girl looked at the clock on her omnitool without saying anything, nor losing a second. She left the comm. headset that had become an indispensable part of her attire, and downloaded to her storage media all the reports of activities of her month-long stay on the ship. They weren´t too big, so when Sparks noticed, the girl was already at the exit hatch, ready to go.

Both entered the elevator at the corporative offices and the small Latin girl adjusted the official dress of the corporation (which was a little bigger for her size), helping herself with the reflection inside the glass cubicle, until a smooth braking alerted them the door was about to open:

_- Cari?, can I trust you not to say anything more than necessary? -_ the captain's voice was grave, but she had called her by first name. A gesture that she rarely used to do.

_- Completely ma´am. Nothing inconvenient will come out of my lips -_ she tried to lay down the unexpressed fears of her commanding officer (at least until the reallocation took place).

_- Okay, here we part ways. Remember, the bar Flux in Zakera District at 1930 hours -_

_- Alright captain -_ while the petite redhead went away, crossing between a group of black-coated workers, the girl headed without hesitation to the human resources department.

After leaving Carina to solve her work situation, Jennifer Sparks left the ExoGeni building and threw herself on the grass in the gardens of the Presidium, to the looks of astonishment and dismay of some aliens. Despite the sign prohibiting walking on the grass, it had become almost a habit since she had first come to the Citadel, two years ago. It made her recall a little sad time, but full of surprises at every turn.

A salarian C-Sec officer stood almost in front of her, but he didn´t seem to notice. She was not surprised. Several times she had been detained and taken to the cells of the C-Sec Academy in the Wards, and always left paying a small inexpensive fee. Almost all the officers had arrested her at least once, and it could be fairly said she knew many of them. That led them to decide on making a blind eye to her presence, preferring to focus on major security issues.

There was one in particular whom she had befriended, a turian named Garrus Vakarian. Every time she was on the Citadel, he found a way to find her (pretending to a false arrest or claiming her for any misdemeanor), and put up with the events of the space station (usually with a couple of drinks in between).

That way she came to know of many of the events of the place. But it was at least two months since Garrus had left the police force, to an unknown destination. Of his fellow aliens he was probably the closest. There was also Nelyna and Anteus, but it wasn´t exactly the same with them...

She rose from the ground, and directed her steps to the Embassy of the Alliance. She insisted to the receptionist to let her pass for a very long time. Several hours later, and already weary of the persistence of the redhead, the (almost angry) asari assistant led her to the offices of Donnel Udina. But an aide told them that the ambassador and his adviser were conducting a very important negotiation in the Tower of the Council and it was likely they would return very late.

Jenny looked at her watch and decided it was best to leave. She returned to the ship, not before ordering the assistant that should Udina return, to advise him on contacting her at the MSV Destiny, on public bay one hundred fifty-six, Khitoi Ward (which is where Huxley had indicated the ship was), urgent priority. She returned there and prepared the recommendation messages Velázquez had requested. When she became aware it was 1900 hours, decided she would get to the Flux in advance, to wait for her pupil.

After nearly tripping over a volus (short and stocky as a basketball in his isolation suit) and dodging a elcor (a huge creature resembling a cross between a horse and a gorilla, docile and quiet but extremely strong), she came by the door and entered the establishment. The environmental noise of the Wards was attenuated immediately, overcome by the sound of popular music in the space station. She sat in the bar and paid for a drink.

She calmly savored her drink whilst waiting for her now ex-communications officer. The amber drink with and attenuated sweet taste, the owner of the establishment (which doubled as a bartender) had recommended as Serrice Iced Brandy, had been of her liking from the first sip. She let the feeling of freshness soak up the last corner of her mouth and then gently let it down her throat. Not bad indeed. Perhaps she would buy a bottle for her personal moments on board the ship...

As she watched the usual crowd dancing and having fun, wondered how things would change when the "other humans" arrived. No doubt there would be many who wouldn´t fail to attend such places (no business would it be, if it didn´t have a minimum of customers willing to see their recreational needs met after all). She sensed, however, that they would radically change the lives of so many more, including herself. She lost a long time checking the moving figures of the various humanoid races, and even noticed the occasional volus, elcor or hanar, taking no active role in the party, but intrigued by the behavior of the other aliens gathered there.

Carina's hand on her shoulder released her from her thoughts. And she became even more surprised when she took the cup of her hand and without explanation she drank what remained of the content, causing a look of astonishment from the elder woman:

_- You do know you have just drank half of your monthly wage, don´t you? -_

The girl gave her a scowl. Jenny noticed her pale face and then, the feeling of drowsiness induced by the place passed at once:

_- Carina, what happens? - _the Latin girl turned to her and activated her omnitool. A transaction was made in the account of the bar and the bartender turned to her, receiving the order of the brunette for two more brandy._  
_

_- I needed that -_ she clarified.

The bartender brought two more glasses of the drink and she took one with anger, leaving the other to her now ex-boss. Hastening the first sip, she said:

_- There´s a new staff manager at ExoGeni –_ she commented and proceeded to tell her story...

* * *

_ExoGeni corporate offices, The Presidium_

_The Citadel._

_Seven hours before, Citadel time..._

When it came to her, Carina Velázquez found herself outside the office of the staff manager. Without a camera nor a receptionist to greet her. It was unusual for some high-level bureaucrats of the Citadel (regardless if they were aliens or not), not having a secretary or assistant, as if they were the royalty of centuries past from Earth. She approached the door of wood (wood!, archaic and anti-nature in the space station, where most buildings were made of a nanocarbon and fiber-plastic polymer alloy). A heavily accented voice, that she didn´t recognize, invited her to pass.

As the door opened, Carina entered the office of a man with dark skin and impeccable suit, cut in the latest fashion, so deeply engaged in the study of various reports on her haptic screen, that he barely noticed her. The shelves and desk (old and made of the same wood the door was, or at least that´s what she thought), were sparsely decorated, except for a round plate of talavera ceramic (which she recognized because her grandfather had one just like that at his home in Santa Angeles, previously L.A.) that adorned the room along with a bottle of tequila and a "caballito" in the farthest corner of the room.

_- Namaste, Miss Velázquez. I'm Yami Sarma Kumar, staff manager of the Citadel section. Please sit down -_ the man placed together both hands and made a very slight bow, and then extended his right hand, indicating a chair.

_- How can I help you? - _said in a soft voice.

She still couldn´t recognize his accent, but the man's features left no doubt about it. He seemed like a native out of that old movie that the deceased engineer Senner loved to see ("Dakota Jones and the Temple of Doom" or something like that). She could imagine him wearing a red turban and brandishing a curved sword, chasing the star through a suspension bridge made of ropes that seemed as if they would split at the slightest touch. Banished such thoughts from her mind and sat down, pushing the kitsch attitude of the deceased into the background.

_- I´m sorry, I wasn´t expecting you. What happened to Claire Archer, the staff manager? -_

_- Miss Archer was involved in a traffic accident in the Tayseri Ward, sadly she passed away three weeks ago, so I've been transferred from Earth to fill her position now - _

_- ¡Por Dios!, __I'm sorry... I was not aware - _she remained silent for a moment, then added:

_- I´ve come to present my report of social service performance and ask for a reassignment, because the ship... -_

_-__ The "Destiny" -_ said the man waving his piercing brown-eyed gaze. She didn´t like it. Looked like the gaze of a scavenger when it encounters a dying man. It made her feel uncomfortable.

_- Beg your pardon? -_ answered, trying to maintain her composure.

_- Your current ship is the MSV Destiny, right? -_ he clarified without flinching, in that soft, mellifluous voice that was so misleading.

_- Y... yes -_ said trying to fight the strong impression that the man was trying to get into her mind.

_- Pardon my manners, please. I imagine you must consider me quite rude. Do not worry. It's my job to be aware of the affairs of the deceased Miss Archer. So... you were telling me about the Destiny... -_ the guy clarified with absolute confidence.

_- I... I'm asking for a reassignment, since Captain Sparks has decided not to work anymore with ExoGeni -_ said the girl trying to remain calm, which was costing her a lot.

_- It's a shame. We had a very stable working relationship with the captain. Do you have any idea of the reason for such reluctance to continue our relationship? -_

Carina thought for a moment before answering.

_- I'm afraid not. Though it appears that news came ExoGeni performance in its colony in Feros -_

_- Ah, the issue of Feros, yes. Very unpleasant, right. You can leave me your reports now. I shall examine them and see if any of the captains is willing to receive you -_ said the Indian going back again to his reports in the haptic interface

_- Okay, thanks –_ she pressed some buttons on her omnitool and the electronic documents were transferred to her employer´s terminal. While the download completed, the man asked:

_- I heard you had a difficult journey. Terminus Systems slavers if I understood correctly... - _

_- Yes ... When did you hear that? - _

_- I am afraid that the captain and Chief Miller´s outburst was more remarkable than she would have wanted - _

_- Did you hear them from here? - _she asked, pointing behind the glazing, which dominated the private dock. The Destiny could be seen in the distance. The man lit his omnitool and waived his hand by a panel. An holographic screen with the image of the moorings and the unloading group of the company, was formed immediately.

_- Again, do not panic, please. Another of my jobs is to keep an eye on certain "misbehaving" elements of the company. Chief Miller is one of them - _

Carina didn´t know what to say. A similar intrusion of privacy would have been too costly and unforgivable on Earth, but here on the Citadel, C-Sec was tolerant with the control policies for employees of some companies. It made her remember about this world of corporate offices that she had refused to go... How was it called?... ah yes... Noveria. She wondered briefly if Binary Helix or Elanus Risk Control Services would do the same with their employees...

_- Do you need anything else Miss Velázquez? -_ The tone of the bureaucrat didn´t reveal any discomfort, but it was as icy as space itself.

_- No. Thank you -_ she said and stood up quickly. She didn´t want to stay another minute in that office. She was about to leave the room, when a last comment from the Indian stopped her.

_- For having faced Terminus Systems pirates, the ship is in very good condition, don´t you think? -_ He didn´t distract his gaze from the reports, but his tone induced a chill in the back of the girl. She concealed her reaction turning to face him.

_- The crew of the Destiny is very good when it comes to making repairs. I'm sure you'll find extensive references to it in my reports -_ said without seeming offended or upset and immediately left the office without giving the man time to say anything more.

* * *

Carina came out of her reverie and said to her companion:

_- It's... strange. I tend not to be biased normally, but this guy seemed to try to get in my head. As if he tested my defenses, as if trying to measure the extent to which my story was consistent with my reports. Is .. as if he suspected that something was not right in my documents -_ said with a gesture of displeasure. The second shot of brandy didn´t taste so good.

_- It is quite normal for such a person to try to measure you, especially if he´s to become __your boss at anytime. And to allay your suspicions about our cover: Huxley commented that the report of activities passed by without raising too many questions. I wouldn´t worry too much. Let´s better try to focus on important things: Here are your recommendation charts -_ she said, activating her own omnitool, while hurrying another libation of liquor:

_- Just add the name of your new commanding officer and you´re done - _

_- Thanks Captain -_ said the brunette making sure the transmission completed.

_- There's something I wanted to ask. I have made the same question to the officers of the ship, but I wanted to know your opinion: What do you think of what happened?, about the "other humans"?, had you not been there... would you believe it? -_ the former military ended her drink and nodded her head to the beat of one of those catchy pop songs, which attenuated the talk of the place, and gave the environmental smoke a look more dense than usual.

_- No. .. I have to admit it would cost me to believe it. But now that you mention it ... I have mixed feelings on that issue. On one hand I appreciate they have saved us. God knows what would have happened if we had landed in the Terminus Systems... on the other, they are so "human" and yet so different. I can´t measure their nature with certainty. I dread to think that we are making a mistake by agreeing to help them... - _

_- I feel the same. But you should´ve seen their faces when they referred to their Earth, and when they showed me her story... I have seen those gestures before: Grief and pain. There was great sincerity in them. I don´t think they are lying, but they´re not telling the whole truth (and if it is as overwhelming as the rest of her tale, I don´t want to know) - _

_- I get it... -_

_- You know, I want you to stay with us. I understand that you prefer to remain with the company. And let me tell you that the idea of quit working for ExoGeni haunted our minds since we heard about Feros. What happened in Trebin however, made us take that choice - _

The brunette sighed quietly, and commented with a touch of sadness in her voice:

_- Thanks, I appreciate the offer... but I don´t want to follow that path. What I mean is that if I stopped my social service with them, it would be like closing the doors to many opportunities and risking my future -_

_- Well ... I will always have need for a good comm. specialist, and a substantial increase in salary would fix many things - _

_- Thank you seriously ... but it´s not about the money. I want to be more than just a specialist. My thesis dwells on the study of the proteans communications systems, like the beacon that was destroyed on Eden Prime. The company gives me more resources for research and greater opportunities to find and experiment with that technology than any other except the Alliance. In truth i wouldn´t want to enlist in the military to make __the dream of my life come true. I hate guns... but I guess you knew that already - _

_- I like your reasoning. And I agree with you, although I don´t like what that means. I know a thing or two about spoiling your life taking the wrong choices... right, I'm gonna miss you Velázquez - _

_- I'm going to miss you too captain -_ said the girl and came to embrace slightly the redhead. They had shared only a month of work, but they had a chemistry and friendship that was not for everyone.

_- Let's take one more drink to you. I invite! -_ said the petite ex-military hitting the bar.

_- How to refuse?. Now i may brag that I've had more than a month's salary in brandy! - _

Both women laughed outright and Sparks ordered the bartender to bring two more glasses, an order which he rushed to meet...

* * *

_Surroundings of The Flux, Zakera Ward,_

_The Citadel_

_2035 hours._

Captain Anderson visibly relaxed after leaving the meeting room of the Tower of the Council. He didn´t expect Udina reaching a preliminary agreement, especially as the Volus ambassador, Din Korlak, arrived in a very aggressive mood. Within hours it seemed that the talks between the Alliance and the Vol Protectorate were not going anywhere. At times it seemed unlikely that the squat creatures were to accept a deal they considered onerous. But he had to admit it, the human ambassador, despite all its bad reputation, had enough political savvy to "steer the ship."

A partial agreement was established, where the Vol could colonize the planet, in exchange for cooperating with the Alliance in establishing preferential trade tariffs for humanity in the products that the extraterrestrial clans used to deal. They would establish military bases on the planet, and orbital stations built and operated jointly by the Alliance and the Turian Hegemony, in order to provide protection to the interests of all three peoples and strengthen cultural ties between them.

Not bad for a round of job where there seemed to be no hope of progress for many weeks!...

Udina returned to the embassy to meet the diplomatic formalities and Anderson went to his apartment in the Districts. He had retained the same place at least twenty years, since his divorce. Sometimes he wondered at the messages that still reached him. They came from Cinthya, his ex-wife. Instead of turning them he had learned to appreciate them, for they were happy reminders of a more idyllic time.

There was still something left of the standard twenty-six hours day established by the Council, so, without thinking it that much, he diverted himself to the Flux (this new place that had opened months ago) to take a sip of that Red Janey Special Reserve vodka to which he had become accustomed recently. He hitched a ride on a slow elevator whose transit seemed eternal, to the level where the establishment was.

He was already a few meters away from the door when he heard some muffled screams and laughter. Military habits egged him instantly. A couple of women, one of expansive red hair and a gray dress, less hesitant in her walk than her companion, a brunette with straight black hair, very short, with a dark blue uniform and the logo of the ExoGeni Corporation on her left shoulder, walked down a back street that would come out at an unattractive part of the space station. The semi-dark hallway where they moved had several gray areas, where any intelligent creature with guts could hide for an ambush.

The man in him, whispered to his ear that it wasn´t too gentlemanly to let both ladies ride in a place like that. Its military part whispered that it was not his problem: It was C-Sec´s duty. He turned and was about to leave them to their fate, when a gasp made him turn. Three men with assault rifles, led by one more, short and of medium build, appeared at one end of the street. Everyone was wearing battle armor and polarized helms. The women tried in vain to get away from them, but were quickly surrounded. In the face of the redhead saw an expression of anger and severity.

Anderson wasted no time and got into one of the dark areas, remaining there without moving. The guys didn´t appear to have good intentions, but playing the hero against superior forces was not the best strategy to keep his head in place. He needed the right moment to intervene. Looked for something (a pipe or any metal objects) between the litter boxes that were at his side, which could give him an advantage. Just found a piece of metal like a transducer, a little too heavy to throw, but tough enough to knock out someone with a good hit. He grabbed it and waited:

_- Ladies, please do not resist, and nothing bad will happen to you!. My boss wants to talk with you and it's better if we do it the easy way -_ the raspy voice of the man in charge was ridiculous, to be a more short and stocky than others. The efficient Karpov pistol that he was carrying in his hand was not.

_- Cowards!, four of you armed, to try to abuse of us!, make it a one on one and I will deal with all of you! -_ the redhead (whose face seemed strangely familiar to the Alliance sailor) rebuked. He couldn´t see their faces because of the helmets, but the gesture of tightly gripping the handles of their weapons betrayed their mental state. The brunette woman had paled. She leaned on the other as she could, and if Anderson had bet that she had had too many a drink, he would have won.

_- You know baby, my boss wants me to get you to him in one piece. Nobody mentioned anything about being without a scratch ... -_ The three thugs maliciously laughed, while the leader was approaching in threatening manner to the short woman. The others pulled the brunette's arm and dragged her into a dark corner near Anderson.

_- "Where is C-Sec when you need them?" -_ thought the military as he prepared to stand up for the girls, without losing detail in the scene.

The reaction of the one in the gray dress was like lightning. The man threw a punch with the gun at his head, that didn´t connect, because she quickly dodged. A kick to the crotch and a blow to the solar plexus and the poor sap fell back with a groan of pain. Another of the thugs surprised her, bashing her with the butt of his gun, while the cries of despair of her companion filled the air. The uproar was such that it should appeal to any C-Sec officer in the area. Nobody came.

David Anderson didn´t think twice. He slipped behind the men who were trying to rape the ExoGeni employee, and using the piece of metal he had, dealt a tremendous blow to the nearest, which dented his helmet and left him lying on the ground. The one with the girl trapped against a metal wall of the alley, was not aware of the fate of his companion, and was interrupted by a sweeping kick that made him stumble. A stomp to the base of his neck and he didn´t move anymore.

Next, the ex-captain of the Normandy took one of the rifles and pointed it to the other two, who were kicking the redhead on the floor mercilessly:

_- Stop!, one more move and I´ll make you so many holes, that you´ll have to be renamed "gruyere"! -_

Both criminals ceased their assault immediately. One of them tried to raise his rifle, but the soldier fired a few shots to his leg and he fell to the floor cursing in pain. The other desisted immediately, leaving his gun on the ground. This ended topped by the sound of vomiting from the brunette, that came from behind him.

The hairy redhead rose up laboriously. While coming towards him the remaining man said:

_- The Shadow Broker is interested in your information Miss Sparks, and he will get it, one way or another! __-_

Anderson realized at that very moment who she was: The daughter of an old friend, Admiral G. Sparks of the Alliance...

He said nothing, and gave a slight smile as the woman bent down to lift the gun from the ground and strike a blow to the criminal, which left him lying. Jenny Sparks hadn´t changed a thing. He guided the two women out of the alley and without another word he signaled a rapid transit vehicle. Neither of them resisted, perhaps by the initial impression more than anything else. They got in the floating car hastily and the military man took them to a clinic in the Wards. Dr. Michel, who he came to know for her assistance to Commander Shepard, received them without asking too many questions, specially because of the looks of both women. Once there, they were examined.

While he stood guard sitting at a table near the entrance of the small establishment, with the rifle semi-exposed and raising nervous glances from the young doctor, Sparks walked on, keeping the gun that she recovered in one of the folds of her dress:

_- Captain Anderson... I must thank you for saving our lives and honor. You have no idea how glad i am to see a familiar face. What are you doing here on the Citadel? - _

The redheaded girl recognized him instantly, without the drowsiness of the alcohol to dull her, and the adrenaline still plying her veins. She was really surprised to see her timely guardian angel:

_- I am glad to see you too Jenny. There´s no day when your father won´t ask about your whereabouts. This will not sit well with him when he finds out -_ said the British sailor. She lowered her face.

_- I hope he won´t find out... but I don´t know how can it be avoided. Promise not tell him anything please... - _

_- It will not leave my lips, as long as you promise not to repeat such a scene. I'm too old to play hero. By the way, are you okay? - _

_- Yes, doctor said they were only a few bruises, that medigel would heal in a couple of hours. The Alliance training definitely pays... I´m more concerned about my friend. She´s not used to the violence common to us ex-soldiers... - _she commented, letting her guard down -_ ...as for the nasty buggers bothering us... unfortunately it´s not up to me. Lately there have been many people interested in hurting me - _

_- It may have to do something with the information those guys were striving to get from you -_ the man said, recalling the phrase the squat guy had mentioned.

_- I don´t know what you´re talking about captain - _said the girl on the defensive, prompting a face of the old man.

_- You´re really bad for lying to your superiors Jenny. Have you forgotten about Antilia? -  
_

She turned back to avoid showing a face of surprise that didn´t go unnoticed to Anderson. Remembering that odd slip, which would have been disastrous, without the intervention of the officer before her, happening when she was still part of the Alliance, brought painful memories. The older man knew he had hit the mark:

_- You sure play dirty captain... -_ Her voice dripping with some rancor.

_- It's my duty as a friend of your family and a former superior officer, to see that you don´t get into more trouble. Four men armed with military rifles and armor, which claim to work for the Shadow Broker, trying to abduct two young women in the Wards of the Citadel, are very close to my standard definition of "problems" -_ he approached, taking her by the shoulders and turned her around to face him.

The redhead said nothing and just narrowed her eyes. She was beginning to recall the reasons why she went away from her family.

_- Plus ... - _continued the brown and wrinkled counselor, a notorious gesture of anger furrowing his face _- ... you armed such a scandal, that it should have attracted at least half of the C-Sec Academy. Judging by the scarcity of police presence (or rather the lack thereof), the Shadow Broker surely considers that your information is terribly valuable to pass up. Enough to bother himself to bribe or hinder C-Sec. This concerns not only to your safety Jenny, but that of the girl who was with you: What happened? - _

Jennifer bowed her head in guilt and crossed her arms over her chest. She stood there a minute and then raised her face.

_- I have important information concerning a particular human group - _

_- Unless you have obtained information classified by the Alliance, i don´t see why the Shadow Broker should haunt you about it -_ he said, as he approached a chair.

_- It has little to do with our government. In fact, the people I met are not in league with our Earth or anything like that. Arguably, in fact, they´re not of this reality -_ she said with a guilty countenance.

_- Jenny ... you´re a full grown up, to go around making up these stories, don´t you think? -_ the soldier got up and started walking down the hall from the clinic.

_- I'm not lying!. I expected such a reaction!. That´s why I wouldn´t tell. I knew you would not believe me!. I'm not sure that Chancellor Udina will believe it either... -_ she said aloud, promoting reproachful looks from the doctor.

_- And what does Udina have to do with this? -_ asked Anderson, approaching the table where the girl lay.

_- There´s no point in telling you, if you´re not willing to grant me the benefit of doubt. Would you help me explain it to the Chancellor, if I tell you the story and show you proof of it to be true? -_ she rose from her seat, making a desperate pleading.

Anderson sighed for a moment. Any promises that involved a Udina would be difficult to keep, but if I he had done it for Shepard, why not for the daughter of one of his best friends?:

_- I can try - _

Jenny proceeded to tell him her ordeal with the batarians, and her rescue by the Robotech forces. She told him of her stay with Admiral Hunter and the "others", and her experience with the Flower of Life. She told him how they helped her return to the Citadel and that they had to travel using locator beacons. She also recalled how she had promised to pave the way for his arrival to the space station and how the deadline given for it was about to end. By the time she arrived at the end, it had already started the cycle of six hours of night on the Presidium (although in the Wards that distinction was not apparent. There was always activity, whether it be day or night).

_- What you tell me can turn the Alliance upside down. Let alone the galaxy -_ the military said, crossing his arms. His gesture had changed radically.

_- So you believe me? __-_

_- I still need confirmation that what you are saying is true, but I have a friend in a similar position and I haven´t stopped giving him any support for it. I also want to see that strong evidence you speak of -_

_- Thank you. You won´t be disappointed! -_ The officer could see the smile of the girl painted in his eyes.

A few minutes later, Chloe Michel came to them bringing a less pale Carina Velázquez and quieter than when they arrived:

_- Are you all right Cari? -_ Sparks asked hugging her partner lightly.

_- ... I've been better captain -_ said the girl, still trussed by the experience _- ... but as soon as the pill the doctor gave me makes its effect, I´ll be better -_ trying to smile.

_- She only needs to sleep. That and the hangover pills and tomorrow she´ll be like new -_ the young doctor handed her some medicine samples, that the latin girl stored in the pockets of her uniform.

_- Thanks doctor. Charge your service to the account of the Embassy of the Alliance -_ Anderson said shaking her hand.

_- Sure captain -_ said the doctor returning to see her patients.

_- Just in time to accompany us to the precinct! -_

The four turned to see a newcomer immediately. Anderson raised his rifle and prepared to shoot, but the shiny blue armor of the turian officers of C-Sec, stopped him:

_- Lower the weapon captain Anderson, if you don´t want to be arrested for obstructing the law. It would look bad on your resume as advisor to ambassador Udina -_

_- Who are you? -_ said the man without lowering the gun. Other officers who were coming in, drew their arms, but the alien, whose facial marks came across his entire face, made a sign that they returned their weapons to their holsters. After that he confronted the three humans.

_- I'm First Lieutenant Chellick of C-Sec -_ said, as he signaled the other officers outside the clinic, to keep themselves away:

_- What do you need officer? -_ Michel intervened, getting in front of her patients.

_- Dr. Michel -_ the alien made a slight tilt of his head _- We are requiring your young companion, Miss Jennifer Sparks, for a complaint about stolen material found on board her ship -_

Jenny, who kept the gun hidden, commented in an annoyed tone:  
_  
- What, what the hell are you talking about official? - _

_- There was a report of facts. We proceeded to review her ship at the request of the local ExoGeni office and found very interesting material, in addition to the stolen possessions. I'm afraid you'll have to come with us -_

_- That can´t be!. We had a contract with them to transport material from an ExoGeni base on the planet Trebin, to the Citadel. We delivered the goods this morning. My xo signed the unloading documentation... -_

_- First officer Sean Huxley, is in the cells of Khitoi and on his way to be transferred to our jurisdiction at this very moment. He was arrested for obstructing the implementation of the review - _

_- Huxley?, no!... -_ Velázquez said trying to run away from the clinic. Both a salarian and an asari detained her.

_- That can not be - _said the redhead lowering her face_ - it must be a mistake!, I can show you the documents supporting the departure of our ship, after having been reviewed in depth by the staff of the company - _

_- I'm afraid I've seen those reports and I have cross-checked against the outputs and inputs of the warehouse at the private dock number twenty-two. I'm afraid they're fake (an almost flawless fake by the way). Besides, I have reports of material, which coincide with the evidence found on her ship -_ the look of peace that was Jenny's face began to crack. Chellick added:

_- Look, you are responsible for the ship, so I must ask you to join us, as your quality at this time is suspect -_

_- How dare you? __-_ Carina immediately jumped to the approaching officer. Anderson reached out, stopping the impetuous girl.

_- Please get out! I don´t want another shooting here -_ said Dr. Michel standing between them and the police. Her face was altered by fear, and the old captain felt she deserved something better than this.

_- Come along to cells and let us fix all this. If you´re not guilty, you will only lose a couple of hours of sleep -_ the Turian was willing to conciliate. The situation could become very tense in a short time, so the old advisor proceeded to try to turn it off as best he could.

_- Let´s better go with them Jenny -_

_- Captain Anderson!, you´re not seriously believing I am a thief! - _

_- Not a chance girl. But we must end this problem as soon as possible, or you won´t be able to help your friends -_

The spark in the eyes of Jennifer went off suddenly. Anderson thought he knew what was going through the mind of the girl. He knew her well enough to know she was not capable of committing a crime, but he understood, by the modus operandi of the police, that the Shadow Broker was not going to give up so easily. Suddenly she pulled the gun and pointed it to the officer:

_- We can make this as easy or difficult as you want Chellick!. You caught me and I will surrender and confess the crime. But i have to be sure that my two companions and the people of my crew will not be disturbed -_

The other officers immediately drew their weapons. Anderson and Velázquez turned to her, with their faces painted in shock:

_- Stop Jenny! -_ the captain tried to approach her but the redhead stepped back, aiming to him.

_- No, David. I appreciate what you did for me, but we both know that there is no way out of this! -_

_- Don´t be silly girl, lower the gun and everything will be fine -_ the Turian commented, giving a slight step forward.

_- Don´t do that!, don´t! -_ Velázquez shouted, with the desperation soaking her voice.

_- It´s not your decision Cari, so step away! -_ the ex-military said, taking another step backwards.

_- Step back all of you or you´ll be jailed for obstruction of justice!, Miss Sparks, you´re in no position to negotiate! -_ The C-Sec official said directly to her. His companions were looking at each other and then to the doctor, seriously doubting about starting a shootout there. Chloe Michel crouched in a corner, covering the few patients who still dwelled in the clinic. The panic on her face said it all.

_- Damn sure i am, detective!. My deal is this: Meet my demands or I'll start shooting. "He died in line of duty" is a such worthy epitaph to a police officer, is it not?. Even if you get out of this alive, your service record will be stained with a single fatal shooting in a quiet clinic on the Wards. Are you willing to do that Chellick? - _

_- Captain! -_ Velázquez tried to approach her, but Anderson held her by the arm.

_- Silence Carina!, I'm tired of hearing you complain! - _Said the redhead losing her calm and rendering the brunette mute. Without losing sight of her target asked again:

_- What do you say? -  
_

The face of the Turian twisted in a gesture of anger, which he suppressed excellently. The atmosphere was heavy at the moment, but a gesture to stop his teammates ended up deflating the situation.

_- Alright Sparks, I promise I will not touch them. You have my word -_

_- How do I know I can trust you? - s_he asked, while pointing to him.

_- You don´t know. You must accept that. Now get down your damn gun! - _

Jennifer lowered the gun he had taken from the bully who had tried to assault her. When she put it down, several men from C-Sec seized her. The cries of protest from their companions, along with the screams of Dr. Michel, disturbed the atmosphere of the clinic. The officers got them all out of the place, but when they were to take them, the detective spoke:

_- Release them - _

_- But they are suspects too! -_ An asari, whose insignia identified her as a sergeant, almost growled at the turian´s face.

_- We have the main suspect Sybia!. Confiscate their weapons and let them go -_ he didn´t bother turning to look at the two humans.

_- Damn!, this is wrong!, you´re making a mistake! - _Velázquez shouted as she and the old soldier were released.

_-'We´ll get you out of there!, don´t worry! -_ was the last she heard from the captain of the Alliance, before Jenny was drawn into a rapidtrans.

* * *

Jenny resigned to her fate, bowing her head and sinking into her thoughts. She realized the flying vehicle had started moving and while traveling, she wasted her time cursing internally that she would not be able to help Admiral Hunter. Her mind tried to make convoluted escape plans, but the anger clouded her judgment and she always came to it empty-handed. Impotence and scorn for herself for knowing that she had made a foolish thing, were beginning to torture her. Several seconds later (or was it minutes?, she didn´t know for sure), they arrived to Zakera Ward Precinct.

A pair of aliens took her out of the car, forcing her to walk and cutting her out from painful trance. She was transported through brightly lit corridors, with transparent cell doors and thick walls from the reinforced metal the Citadel was made. She had come into that place sometimes for minor offenses, but she never thought to get there unjustly accused.

When they were about to throw her into prison, a man approached her. He was too familiar: The despicable Chief of Storage Miller.

_- I knew it!, only you were capable of such cowardice!, wait´till they release me, Miller! _-_ s_he struggled with the guards, secured by electronic handcuffs. The defiant tone did not subside however.

_- Guess I can add threats and harassment to the charges against Ms. Sparks -_ the big guy said, drawing a mocking smile on his face. Jenny would have castrated him on the spot, had she not been held in handcuffs. Instead all she provoked was that the officers threw her violently to the cell. The reinforced crysteel door closed, isolating her from him.

As she approached the glass and beat it frantically, trying in vain to break it, Chellick came and looked at her as if looking a zoo animal. Then, another man approached him. Per the description Carina had made, she could recognize him: The Staff Manager Yami Sarma:

_- Namaste, detective. I see you´ve found the properties of my company -_ said the Hindu, greedily watching the detective's belongings in his hands. Sparks could not restrain a cry of terror, which was not sufficiently attenuated by the isolation of the cell, seeing the clutches of the alien put on the things that she had been given: the Robotech beacon and the container of the Flower of Life.

_- Yes, based on the reports the Chief has given us, I believe that justice will be done -_ said the C-sec officer with his breast swelling with pride. This action and its consequences would look great on his resume. Maybe they could gain him a promotion even...

_- Okay. If I may, I will take the belongings of the company... __-_ The little man stretched out his hands to retrieve the artifacts, but the alien took them away from him, with an annoying glance.

_- It is not possible. This is evidence and we are going to process it for the investigation -_ the face of the staff manager became a momentary grimace of distaste, which quickly became a more peaceful gesture.

_- We are talking about secret investigations of the company... w__hat if our corporate rivals learn of this? -_ asked Chief Miller, advancing to intimidate the Turian, a tactic that had no effect on him.

_- We will proceed with the utmost discretion the case requires, have it for sure. The evidence will be processed in two days and returned to you -_ the officer said in a firm tone, indicating that he wouldn´t admit further questions.

_- Okay officer... we will __wait. Do you need something else from us? __-_ Yami Sarma´s honeyed voice talked about a temporary submission to the events.

_- Yes, a formal statement. __We can start the paperwork right now if you like -_ the deputy went away, taking the objects to the evidence room, with Sarma following him closely. Miller was behind them, but at one point he returned, and standing in front of her said very quietly...

_- The Shadow Broker always get what he wants, Miss. Sparks. Don´t you ever forget ... - _

_- Damn it, damn! -_ said the redhead, screaming in rage, and hitting the glass in an inflammatory way, with all her might, as she watched the wretched man getting away from there.

_- By the way... release the poor sap on cell seven, he´s innocent... -_ Chellick voice came from afar.

A human and a salarian, passed along the front of the girl's cell. A minute later, they returned, leading a mature man, blond, green eyes...

_- Huxley! -_ the first officer released himself from them and approached to the window, sticking to the crystal and showing the bruises from the blows they had given him. His voice was pleading.

_- Captain!, I didn´t want to!, they forced me!, I´m sorry!, I´m sorry ... -_ the man sobbed, while the two officers grabbed him again and pulled him toward the exit.

_- I believe you Huxley!, I believe you... -_ she muttered, watching as they took him away. She wished more strongly than ever, while leaning on the glass to let herself slide to her knees, and recalling that it was just wishful thinking, that his friend Garrus had not ever resigned C-Sec...

* * *

When the two officers got Sean Huxley out of the precinct, to the quiet and solitary street, the man fell on his face and took a minute to get up. However, a hand helped him to his feet. That of his partner, former communications officer Carina Velazquez:

_- Cari... I... -_

_- Tell me what happened?, you know what happened!, tell me! -_ the Latin brunette wore an expression of desolation in her face. She shook him hard. The man could not manage to say a word, causing more frustration and anger on the girl. Anderson stopped her:

_- Stop!, whatever you have done, we must give it remedy soon –_ he said making her let go of him.

_- There´s no choice -_ the distress was evident in the face of the First Officer.

_- Damn it, Huxley pull yourself together!, we need you here! -_ the Latin was about to explode, but a frank gesture of the man stopped her.

_- You don´t get it! ... I helped that miserable Miller to imprison the captain! -_

_- It doesn´t matter at this point - _the military man stopped him _- what we need to do is get help and soon. Did you see Jennifer? -  
_

_- Yes, she´s in the east wing, cell nine. And who are you? -_

_- Long story Sean, I´ll tell you later. What do we do captain? -_ asked Velázquez invoking all her strength, to fight the anxiety she felt.

_- I'll go check on her. As a member of the Embassy of the Alliance, they won´t be able to stop me. If I have not returned in fifteen minutes, go to the Embassy, speak with Ambassador Donnel Udina and explain him the situation, tell him this is an FC-1025 code of the Alliance, he will understand - _

_- FC-1025. Alright captain. Good luck! -_ the brunette walked away, carrying the battered blond to a bench.

_- Thanks -_

Anderson left behind the couple of youngsters, sitting in front of the transit station and headed to the precinct. Zakera had the lowest crime rates in the Wards, but that didn´t deter it´s C-Sec station from being still a bit dark and somewhat dingy. The main difference with the police stations on Earth, was that the interiors and building cells (as well as with the C-Sec Academy, as he had seen previously), conduced to unpleasant parts of the Citadel, part which only the "duct rats", as the homeless children living in the Wards used to be called, or the Keepers, the mysterious insectoid race that kept the giant space-cylinder working, used to frequent.

Upon his arrival at the workplace, the same sergeant who had protested for his release came to him with an intimidating gesture:

_- You have the guts to come here after what happened. Maybe I should lock you in with your friend -_ the imposing asari Sybia, whose skin color was a bluish-violet, faced him with an unpleasant gesture.

_- Or maybe you should stop saying stupid things and get out of my way. I want to talk with Detective Chellick -_ said the human undeterred.

The asari was about to answer, but a salarian spoke first:

_- Chellick is taking statements from the people of ExoGeni. If you are going to wait, sit there -_ he pointed to a chair that looked pretty uncomfortable. The soldier asked how, in a galaxy so full of ergonomic equipment and amenities in all places, police stations always received the more spartan supplies.

The asari girl left him alone and he waited seated for a while. Five minutes later two men, a tall and strong brown-haired, and one more short, dark and with distinctly ethnic factions, left the office. They passed before him, without paying much attention. When Chellick left his office and saw him coming, he nodded and went back inside. Anderson stood up, thanking internally his uncomfortable waiting was over, and walked into the room. Once he had crossed the threshold and closed the door, the detective sat at his desk and motioned the man to do the same:

_- Captain David Anderson of the Alliance Navy. Adviser to Ambassador Donnel Udina. Because of your involvement with the prisoner, we have locked in, I fear that your presence here is unfortunate -_

_- Let's cut the crap!. You are working for the Shadow Broker!, I had imagined it since we found you at the clinic - _

_- Silence!... - _ordered the turian making an exaggerated gesture that would have been natural in a human_ - This office is safe, but I wouldn´t trust the walls not having ears. If you remain __silent and don´t make noise, I'll tell you what is happening -_

Anderson struggled to contain the rage that was growing within him. He knew, however, that the officer could have valuable information, so he let the alien spoke:

_- A few months after the incident at Chora´s Den in which Commander Shepard helped me, the information I got from the arms dealers put me on alert for a contact that the __organization of the Shadow Broker had at the Citadel. Investigating further, I compiled a list of possible suspects, which was gradually reduced until there was only one of them: The Storage Chief Miller from the ExoGeni company, which is the stocky type that you saw going out of here -_

_- So you've been investigating him? -_

_- Yes. We have had many reports about cases of blackmail and corruption that lead to the organization of the Shadow Broker. We can always find the recruits, the second-line players. But the main ringleaders are extremely difficult to trace. Miller is one of the pawns, worthless in any case but he receives orders from a better positioned agent. I've been tracking the whereabouts of this subject, but all my efforts have been unsuccessful so far - _

_- So? -_

_- A month ago or so, I caught him infraganti, dealing in contraband. A crime serious enough to warrant jail in a prison ship for several years. Despite his imposing girth, the guy is not too brave, and when I threatened him to put in the shade for a few years, he quailed -_

_- A deal should have been done or he would not be here - _

_- Yes. We agreed that he would help us catch the high-level operative in flagrante delicto. But since that happened, there have been many opportunities, that have been frustrated for various reasons, consistent with the power and resources of an organization like the one I'm prosecuting. But there's more... -_

_- What? - _

_- After that, I realized whoever the contact was, must be placed in C-Sec or have a spy among us, as he knows very intimate details of the operation in the precinct and the Academy -_

_- So that explains the incident on the Wards some time ago -_

_- What incident? -  
_

_- Before coming to the clinic of Dr. Michel, armed men claiming to be from the Shadow Broker organization attacked my partners, and tried to kidnap them in a back alley near the bar Flux, here in Zakera. The scandal was such that at least an officer must have noticed -_

_- It is not possible, there are no reports of incidents or anything like that -_

_- There was one believe me. You can check the weapons that you seized. We got those from them. Black market weapons: Military versions of civilian firearms -_

Chellick´s mind wandered for a moment. He invoked the terminal´s haptic interface and searched the records. After a couple of minutes, he found something:

_- Here's a call from the vicinity of the Flux, which was abruptly cut off. It was made like two hours ago -_

_- About the time the shooting happened. You can check the shooting logs of the weapons, they will match the time line of the call -_

_- Not only that, but the data modification of the weapons are the same as the ones that we seized from that Krogan trafficker arrested. I will check, but if so, that is still circumstantial evidence... - _Anderson was about to protest, but the turian went ahead _- ... but that explains something about the involvement of the Shadow Broker in this operation -_

_- What about the other man who came with Chief Miller, the Hindu? - _

_- Yami Sarma?, he is the Staff Manager of the local ExoGeni office. We have checked him from head to toe. It is probably a harmless bureaucrat that was assigned by the company to reinforce the presence of Miller. In his only month of residence in the Citadel, he has been warned once by stepping on the lawn of the Presidium, being that his only crime. Very probably just an innocent bystander -_

_- I am happy to help detective, but I need a favor of you - _

_- I can´t release the prisoner if that's what you want. It is part of the current hook for Miller to head us towards his boss -_

_- What are you talking about? -_

_- Miller says that Miss Sparks has important information that has caught the attention of the Shadow Broker. Therefore she must be kept in custody until he leads us to the right man -_

_- But this is important information concerning affairs of the Alliance. And the top brass want her under military custody -_ the captain lied, trying to force the hand of the detective.

_- And I would be in the best position to deliver her, were it not for the procedure in this case forcing me to keep her here, while making the necessary inquiries -_

_- This is a trap for her, don´t you understand?, the things that are supposed evidence stolen, do not belong to the company -_

_- I'm afraid I have actual documents that verify otherwise. Months of reports from ExoGeni findings supporting its possession. And even if they weren´t, both objects are of unknown origin and must be subjected to exhaustive analysis to determine if they´re not harmful -_

_- Chellick don´t force me to make a diplomatic complaint to the Council. I don´t want to cause any trouble and you know that an official investigation of C-Sec could not contend with an official edict of the Alliance -_

_- If this is what is going to take Captain, then I am afraid that it will be, but while you make your diplomatic move, I have to keep everything quiet in this station, and that includes keeping the prisoner in her cell -_ said the officer showing how little he liked this.

The Alliance military thought that although the turian was willing to cooperate, the circumstances would not allow him. He was wrapped in his own plot and he would not budge an inch.

_- Then grant me this favor. Let me see the evidence -  
_

_- It's against protocol ... -_

_- So is to discuss details of a case with a civilian, yet you have obtained valuable info... Come on ... give me something to maneuver - _

The officer thought for a second and twisted his sharp talons against each other. He was torn between what he wanted and his duty. After a few seconds, he whispered:

_- Okay. I can extend a courtesy for what Shepard did for me in that case, but I don´t want any surprises. If you try something, I'll shoot you myself, advisor to the ambassador or not. Follow me quietly - _

The lanky officer quietly left the office and gazed around, watching the movement of the hall. His teammates didn´t seem to notice his movements, so he motioned to Anderson and walked into the hallway inside the place. The man followed him as quietly as he could. Somehow it reminded him of his glory days, and felt the adrenaline build up in his body, causing a slight excitation and euphoria that he could not get rid of. As he approached the room, passed through the corridor of cells. Verified the numbers in each one, and when he passed near number nine, observed quietly. Jenny Sparks was there, lying on the bed of the place, desolated and with a look of despair. The Alliance captain cursed himself for not acting more vigorously and let things get to that.

He left her there, without trying to communicate with her and advanced to where Chellick was expecting him. They arrived at the evidence room and the turian opened the door, after entering a complicated security code.

The cell of evidence was baroque, a great carnival in the middle of the austerity of the precinct. Transparent shelves, guarded by strong electronic locks containing the various objects related to the many crimes that were carried out every day in the Citadel. Despite what the Council said about the crime rates, the old soldier knew that, like on Earth, there would always be dispossessed if the government systems were not to worry about a fair distribution of wealth. It was funny how the mistakes made by humans were replicated in alien societies alike.

Chellick approached a rectangular shelf, illuminated by an amber light. On it was the Robotech beacon, a cylinder of about thirty centimeters which seemed to vary with pulsating life. The proximity to the technology, which didn´t look anything like the artifacts of other races he had seen, gave him a sense of true wonder. But what caught his attention was a group of pink flowers, like orchids. They were beautiful, in a way only themselves could be, with a grace that had no peer among the things of that universe.

The C-Sec officer pulled the transparent container in which the flowers were dancing, so smoothly that they seemed to curl with a nonexistent wind in the room. The alien stared a moment, entranced in the delicacy of that way of life, and was about to deliver it to Anderson, when he stumbled slightly. The cylinder slipped from his hands and it would have ended on the floor, had it not been for the nimble hands of the human.

When taken, the ex-captain of the Normandy had a fleeting vision: His mind took him to the ends of the galaxy and beyond. He could see a race of organic beings surviving from the power that plant gave to them. Appreciated the rule of a powerful group of elders, who rose to conquer all the worlds of their home system, to steal the flower from the first aliens he saw. He noted the emergence of a huge group of cloned warriors, whose mission was to find a lost ship that transported this entity. And looked in seconds, the cruel wars that the humanity from another dimension had to fight to survive, all because of that life he held in his hands. All he saw left him stunned. Suddenly he felt extremely small and alone, as never felt before.

The turian withdrawn the container from his hands and turned to store it on the shelf again. Anderson got through just a second later, looking at the officer as stunned. The other nodded as to dismiss him and both left the evidence room. While Chellick closed the door, the old soldier approached the cell of Sparks, who was still lying. The soldier frantically hit the glass, awaking the woman:

_- ¡Captain Anderson! -_

_- I've seen it! - _he said when she approached the glass_ - It´s true!, I believe you! - _

_- You must help them captain!, they´re coming!, you should help! -_ she said in a deep voice while her hand stuck to the division of the cell. David Anderson just nodded and thanked the detective, as he ran to the human embassy, struggling with himself to not feel powerless.

When he saw the human go out of the precinct, the turian had the odd feeling that this was going to be a busy night. He felt it in his bones. A few seconds later he saw the arrival of two officers escorting a quarian. As they walked him to the cells, the detective looked at the space bum steer a look into the evidence room and then to the desks, where his companion Sybia was, watching the newcomer without saying a word. One could never know exactly the facial gestures that those aliens in the sealed environmental suits used to make, but his detective instincts told him something was very wrong there. Perhaps he should watch the asari more closely...

When David Anderson came out of the building, he came to the crew of the Destiny, that were sitll expecting him and made plans. As he explained them, and after leaving them, Carina Velazquez approached to Sean Huxley and embraced him without a word. The blond made a reciprocal gesture, and they remained so, while struggling both not to fall into discouragement. It was 2305 hours.

* * *

And then it happened:

People in the streets of the Presidium and the Wards. Operators of Air control of the giant space station. Workers in the industrial sections and destitute children whom they called "Duct Rats" of the Citadel. Yami Sarma Kumar and Chief Miller from their car, coming towards the building of ExoGeni. Chellick, from the waiting room of the Zakera precinct and Volus ambassador Din Korlack from his quarters in the embassy area. The people of The Flux through the window that ran through the whole place, and those attending Chora´s Den and the Medical Clinic of Dr. Michel, through video images that reproduced the scene in all of the space station monitors. Velázquez and Huxley in the public bay hundred fifty-six, out of the MSV Destiny, and David Anderson from the balcony of the embassy of the Alliance...

For all of them, the time almost stopped. It became frozen in the moment when a huge spherical blaze lit up the sky around the space station, turning the forced night of the Presidium into day. Lighting up the darkest corners of Ward Markets. Blinding the audience who admired the show from the dreadnought "Destiny Ascension," with a light greater than the glow that the Serpent Nebula usually had.

For many more of them, their heart stopped beating at that very moment. At 2317 hours Citadel time, the children stopped crying and laughing to watch. The adults asked themselves when they had seen such a thing in the universe, and the aliens said that what would happen at that very moment, all people present would be able to remember forever.

And they would tell to subsequent generations, they were not wrong!, when they saw the disappearance of the glow in the sky, giving way to...

The strangest ship they had ever seen...

* * *

A.N.: This surely took me an eternity to write, (was planning on uploading two chapters at once, but as i checked chapter four, read it and thought IT WAS LAME!, so decided i´d take more time to correct it, and ended up rewriting it completely (the previous one was about 9000+ words)). Same is happening now with chapter five ( yes boys i do have it already, but is written in accordance with previous version of four, so i´ll have to correct it as well).

Now (finally), as Dutch reader has adequately put it previously, its SDF3 VS The Citadel, shootout or diplomacy!


	6. Five: Steel Curtain

_Robotech and their characters are properties of Harmony Gold USA Inc., Mass Effect and their characters are properties of Bioware. There´s no economic remuneration gained from this story._

* * *

Si deseas leer esta misma historia en idioma español, por favor checa **"Sombras de los Segadores"**, en el mismo apartado **Crossovers:Robotech-Mass Effect.**

* * *

So here we are with the next chapter. Before we go on, let me thank: inuboy86, stark40763 and starspawn07 for their reviews.

Next to: DonnyDonster, Vandar82, Nightcrawler2000 and Rankstrail for favoring this one.

Also: Duke Edwin the 3rd, starspawn07 (again) and Rankstrail (again) for keeping this story on their alerts. (I´m not forgetting about Torcato and greatbear, so they have my thanks as well).

So, let´s have some action...

* * *

_**Chapter Five:**_

_**Steel Curtain.**_

_Alliance Embassy rooftop,_

_The Presidium, The Citadel_

_2310 hours, Citadel time_

The cold air from the atmosphere bothered Master Thief Kasumi Goto´s perfectly shaped body, causing the thermal insulating fibers from her suit to be activated with a thought. She was completely safe, walking in the darkness of the roof of the Alliance Embassy, peering into the turmoil of the area that the Council had called the Presidium. She had disabled the alarm and hacked the edifice´s security systems, editing the images from the interior cameras that went directly to the C-Sec Academy, to show nothing more than the usual routine.

Kasumi had prepared the tactic, as a series of measures devised to sneak illegally into the building under her feet. She was the best thief in the galaxy, and her reputation came before her. There was no place where she couldn´t sneak or security system that would offer her any challenge. There was no containment systems designer that was able to put obstacles in her way for more than a minute, or valuables that were safely stored if she intended to steal them.

She was nor silly, neither jaunty. Being the best thief involved in principle, she wasn´t to be the most renowned one, and the fact of getting to rob the home of the Human Systems Alliance on The Citadel, put her on the radar of a powerful organization, and a most times ruthless one. True, she had challenged the countermeasures that other powerful third-parties such as Cerberus, had established around certain valuable resources, but that was when her lover was still alive.

Keiji...

The follies a woman in love can make. Every day since he had died just over two weeks ago, she had tried to delude herself thinking that what she did, was for justice. It was not. The desire to retrieve the memories of her lover, encrypted and stored in a neural device which both had embedded in their heads, was her most powerful incentive to raid the building where she stood. Sighed a moment, letting the terrible reality of her solitude embrace her completely. Repressed her feelings in the most exquisite way she could and focused on the work that was about to begin.

Getting in, searching and going out. All in five minutes. No witnesses, no fingerprints nor details that may betray her. As the mist that filled the coast in the cold days of her native Okinawa, before the island sank forever in the Pacific Ocean.

As the mist...

Magnetic boots securing. The muffled sound of a body sliding down the elevator shaft. An athletic stunt that became a soft landing on a ledge inside the cube. A movement of her omnitool and the pressure sensors and surveillance cameras of the floor where the office of Donnel Udina was, getting into a perpetual cycle of feeding false information. Crawling a few feet inside a ventilation duct and picking up a grid on the wall, her body wrapped in the tactical concealment cloak built into her suit. A grate going back into place after her entrance.

_- "So far, so good. Two minutes and counting" -_ she thought while walking to the door of Udina´s office. A "Stonewall" triple encryption lock. DNA and voice confirmation. Child's play. Human company _Locks for Hire_ had presented the device less than a week ago. "Our strongest lock" they said. It had taken her less than a minute to disassemble their safety and pass through in a way even the designers hadn´t dreamed of...

Inside the office was austere. Minimalist in any case. She had already broken the protections of the ambassador's office terminal. There could be secrets of incalculable value in it, about the political movements of human leadership. But its real value lay in the connection it had with a certain database of the Alliance military. From all that gigantic treasure chest, Kasumi´s interest figured in only one particular:

_- "Alliance Special Research, Hock case: File 25433" -_ told the V.I. when it gave her the welcome. Although those were sophisticated electronic gadgets, it was relatively simple to trick them if you had adequate DNA samples.

Wasting no time, she accessed to the requested file. Keiji's body had been requisitioned by the Alliance, after Donovan Hock, arms dealer, trapped them. His partner had found a number of highly-classified files of the militia, which eventually proved his undoing. Such information often attracts dire people, and Hock was no exception. He attacked them on their provisional safe-house in New Venice and, had she not alerted the authorities of a fake terrorist attack, she wouldn´t have come out of it alive. However, Hock caught Keiji and tortured him to death, before the Alliance intervened. He died alone in a military hospital. No one stepping in to identify him.

Revenge is a most harmful thing, and Kasumi rejected it, but at the time she considered it the logical reason for her actions. But coming before that, she was to recover the "gray box" containing the memory of her partner. Without it, her memories with him would never be complete.

Discovered that the Alliance had taken the body to one of its secret facilities at The Citadel. She just had to dig a little further and find the relevant information. A second later her equipment detected a sudden shift in power and she withdrew her hand, to verify that the computer she was working on, was running a security protocol, one she knew nothing about.

A mistake... a costly one at it. She verified her equipment, proving conclusively that the required data had been deleted from the database. The Alliance would have another server unusable very soon, but her plans would be back to square one. She wouldn´t have to worry about C-Sec seeing her go through Udina´s belongings at least, but if she didn´t leave soon, situation could escalate. Out of curiosity, she went to the huge window of the room. Only darkness came through it.

Kasumi prepared to leave. Verified that her counter-measures were still active (a must for events like this) and when she came hurriedly to the door, it opened. The master thief moved like lightning. A jump and she was near one of the balconies of the office. She retreated to the wall, while a grown man, with prominent entries in his curly hair and features of buzzard, in a well-made white suit, entered the office:

_- "Chancellor Udina... maybe things are not so lost after all"-_

The guy came muttering something. The Japanese could swear he was cursing under his breath to whichever deities he knew. A symbolic gesture for someone who was avowedly atheist. He was very close, trying to activate his terminal, only to find that it didn´t work. A few minutes passed while seeing the walk from one side to another of the thin man, going around and yelling.

_- Damn, a power failure!, and at this damned moment! -_

His cartoon villain voice made her smile. Udina could be politically very astute, but his poise and composure were those of a grumpy old man. Despite the time she was taking (it was almost a minute over the schedule), this unattractive specimen of politics could provide the data she needed. He was so engrossed trying to work his stuff, that he hadn´t suspected he might not be alone. It was only a matter of getting a little close to him. A solid blow and...

_- Udina! -_

The door opened almost at once. Another man had arrived. Kasumi turned to the wall almost immediately. The second wore the uniform of the Navy Alliance. She recognized him a second later: Captain Anderson, former commanding officer of the SSV Normandy, the ship of Commander Shepard. She had studied the profiles of both him and Udina as she structured her entry strategy. Knew about the threat levels of each one, and it was nothing she couldn´t handle. However, the best tactic to avoid suspicion was not showing that you were, where people don´t want you to be. She waited to see how the scene unfolded:

_- Anderson!, why the fuss? -_

The sailor leaned on the table for a moment as he regained his breath and asked:

_- Do you know Admiral Sparks of the Third Fleet? -_

_- Yes .. I was with him a few days ago - _

_- Then you may remember he has a lost daughter -_

_- That he constantly asks if we have hard anything about her, yes... Where are you getting Anderson? -_

_- This girl is in the C-Sec precinct of Zakera Ward at this very moment. She has been accused of stealing artifacts from the ExoGeni facilities -_

_- So. ..? -_ the chancellor did not flinch. The situation with his terminal had put him in a bad mood.

_- It's a farce. These artifacts belong to the crew of her ship -_

_- Interesting news captain, but you haven´t specified yet: Why is this so important to us? -_

_- She requires diplomatic assistance. She is in possession of information that might be of interest to the Alliance and it is our duty to intercede for her - _the military walked to him. He wasn´t expecting such a reaction of the bureaucrat.

_- What kind of information? - _

_- About a First contact situation! -_ Udina turned around and made an exaggerated gesture, opening his arms. He didn´t like where this conversation was going.

_- Are you sure about that Anderson?. That kind of stories usually involve a lot of work for the embassy. You may remember about Shepard... -_

_- Let´s not bring in the Reapers´ stuff chancellor!, in this case there is solid evidence that what she says is true! -_ claimed the captain.

_- What evidence?, maybe another audio record that the Council can dismiss as inconclusive? - _

_- I´ve seen these objects Udina!. Real alien technology. I can take you to Zakera Ward to verify it yourself. C-Sec has seized a life form like no other as well, that could prove the testimony of Jennifer Sparks if brought before the Council -_

_- Sounds very interesting, and it is possible that this girl might be telling the truth, but I'm afraid it´ll have to wait - _

_- Didn´t you heard me Udina?, Jenny Sparks, daughter of Admiral Sparks of the Alliance, is jailed in the brig of the Zakera precinct at this time, accused of a crime she didn´t commit, because the Shadow Broker is interested in the information she possesses and... -_ Udina put his hand to his face. It was happening again.

_- The Shadow Broker?, on The Citadel?, you must be joking... -_

_- How the hell do you think we got the info to make the accusation against Saren?, asking him for it nicely? -_

_- There are things that I don´t need to know Anderson, and that was one of them. If the Council hears about this ... -_

_- Stop complaining and listen to me!, if the Shadow Broker wants that information he´ll do anything to get it, even kidnap her from C-Sec facilities! - _

_- Don´t be ridiculous Anderson!. Not even he would dare to attack the premises of C-Sec!. At the moment we leave this situation as it is, first I have issues with the Volus that must be addressed. Plus ... -_

_- Are not you listening? We must help her soon damn it! -_

Udina took a deep breath trying to hold back. The military was outliving his usefulness again.

_- Captain Anderson: Your contribution has been valuable in achieving the objectives of the embassy. No doubt the Volus Ambassador will speak highly of you. But getting your help doesn´t mean that I am obliged to meet each and every one of your whims. I have enough already with allowing Shepard (and all of his related problems), follow in direct contact with you, instead of channeling it all through the Fifth Fleet. We're not doing anything at the moment. Tomorrow morning I will present myself in the Zakera precinct to request the release of this young woman -_

_- Tomorrow may be too late already! -_ the Britain was losing his patience rapidly.

_- Enough Anderson!, You´re not using your head!. If my memory serves my well, Jennifer Sparks is the daughter of someone very close to you as well as an officer with whom you worked. You´re not seeing things objectively -_

_- Listen Udina. Regardless of the relationship I may have with her family, this girl told me how she got hold of that technology. Incredibly, it was the result of First contact with an alien group. Humans not in league with the Alliance. They are an entirely different civilization! -_

_- No more nonsense!. First the Reapers and now this!, If what you need is vacation time, take a week. You have earned it. But right now I need to write some papers for the negotiations with the Volus!. My duty as a representative of the Systems Alliance, is to focus on the common interests of humanity, not the ravings of the spoiled daughter of an officer of the Third Fleet! - _the bureaucrat shouted as he sought his omnitool in one of the desk drawers.

Anderson tore his hair. It was natural that the old chancellor didn´t believe him. He had not done it entirely with Shepard, and he wouldn´t do here for the same reason: Udina could be a real idiot when he wanted to. Before putting a hand on him and bitterly regret it, he tried one last trick:

_- At least you should help me get Miss Sparks and artifacts out of the jail -_

_- And why should I do that? -_

_- Because it is an Earth woman. Although the actions of C-Sec may be fully justified, we are still the embassy of the Alliance and we are to ensure the integrity of humans here on The Citadel. That is more important than a few papers for the Volus to sign! -_

_- We are here to protect the general interests of humanity, not the individual ones of a young woman of dubious reputation... - _

The ex-captain of the Normandy was to replicate, but a message to the chancellor´s omnitool interrupted him. A message from Din Korlak, who called him to a meeting at the Tower of the Citadel.

_- The Council wants to know the terms of negotiation. You can come with me and see how real politics are done, or stay here chasing dreams -_

Anderson held himself not to jump and beat him. He stood there thinking as the chancellor left the office. The Briton hit the desk with unusual force, unloading all the anger that the guy who owned the office was able to inspire.

Rose from the chair he was sitting on, drawing his hands to his raven, thinning hair again, weighing his options. He had to get Jenny and the evidence out from the precinct, and present the discovery to the Council before they arrived, or it would trigger serious problems. He didn´t know how long he had to act, but probably not much time. A mission almost impossible for him alone, not to mention the consequences, reflected in his military career would lead him directly to court martial.

Continued weighing his options when a flash of light from the window made him go to the balcony. It was now 2317 hours.

The embassy lights flickered. He was afraid that what he expected had happened, and his fears were confirmed when he looked to the sky, where, at an apparent close distance, a ship, stranger than any other he had seen over his years of career had appeared. They had arrived...

He turned to leave the room, formulating a plan in full swing. If he had to liberate Jenny by force, he would but the first thing was to get a little help. He hadn´t finished the thought, when the holographic interface of the V.I. of the room sprang to life, projecting a message that the man thought, couldn´t be any more strange:

_Captain Anderson: My name is Kasumi Goto and I couldn´t help overhearing your conversation with Ambassador Udina. You have problems, and I, solutions. Let me propose a deal: I can help you get the girl and the objects of your interest. If it suits you, I'll find you in seven minutes in front of the C-Sec precinct in Zakera. This for the best interest of us both..._

* * *

_Citadel Airspace,_

_Serpent nebula, near the Widow star,_

_Sagittarius Galactic Arm_

_2317 hours Citadel time_

Admiral Hunter let the glow that filled the bridge dissipate, covering his eyes. The crew at his side also had their heads down. The soft hand of his wife made him turn. He looked confident and extended a sincere smile. The voice from Adelle, the flight controller at the second level of the bridge brought him back to reality.

_- Folding completed successfully. There is visual confirmation of a space station at least forty miles long. Distance to target: Eight hundred kilometers. Matches the description that the Liaison Officer Li mentioned about The... -_

_- ... Citadel. There is also the Destiny Ascension -_ the Asian Cho Li completed, looking at the viewing screen and noting the huge star-shaped craft. Despite trying to hide it, he was certainly shocked. Traveling through folding was a complete world apart of using the acceleration of the mass relays.

_- Everything seems so quiet from here -_ Miriya said, looking round the torus. The Serpent nebula's glow that surrounded the station, gave a pinkish tone to the scene.

_- Several decks of the ship reported uneventful procedures. Air and Land Groups are on alert and only Engineering has failed to report -_ said Karen Penn, located on a terminal next to the command chair.

_- Link me with them, Karen -_ ordered the admiral, watching the shape of the space station. It looked like a starfish, whose arms were half open. If he understood correctly, the arms could be closed on one end, protecting the interior, like a kind of conical cylinder shape. Rick wondered how much it could endure the bombing by a weapon such as the synchro-cannons the SDF-3 was armed with. He expected not having to find out.

An incoming blip and a box on the display screen informed him that the communication with Dr. Lang had been established:

_- Engineering report - _ordered the military awaiting confirmation from the old German scientist that everything was in order. Instead, the face that Emil Lang presented was not so good...

_- [We have a serious problem Admiral!, the folding system has worked too steadily, and the components used in the mechanism are degraded. In addition, there is an excess of background radiation from the nebula that surrounds us. This radiation is affecting negatively...] -_

_- Doc, short version please - _Rick ordered. If he had to fix the ship, it was better to know immediately.

_- [Residual electromagnetic radiation caused by the folding system and the nebula are accumulating in the refractive heat systems of the hull of the ship. We're transforming the heat to energy and channeling the excess to the secondary backup batteries, but...] - _

_- Doctor Lang ... - _

_- [...but is not enough!. We need to divert the excess of radiation on the skeleton of the ship towards the outside, or we will roast!. Sinks can not keep up. If there was any magnetic field like the ones of a star or planet, we could get rid of the excess without problems. But right now the amount is such that if we put to work several of the ship´s devices at the same time, we would use only twenty percent of the load. My suggestion is to use a mechanism where we can use the extra power, with many chances for us and all our devices to save from annihilation ...] -  
_  
Rick's mind to process the information fast. Many of the spacecraft systems were tremendous energy consumers. But only one among them all by a wide margin ...

_- You´re proposing to shift power to the synchro-cannon! -_

_- [I'm afraid so. Under this circumstances, there are very few devices on the ship that can withstand such potential] - _

_- That is crazy!. Firing the main gun would be perceived as an act of aggression and threat!... even if we don´t aim directly to any target! -_ Lisa cried from behind, enraged.

Possibilities began to unfold in the mind of the Admiral. They had reached the space station that was considered the political center of the galaxy. Making such a demonstration of force was anathema to a peacekeeping mission. The risk of provoking a war was huge, as much as the galaxy itself. The other possibility, however, was to do nothing and die scorched. He was starting to notice a sudden increase of heat in the deck. Cho Li separated himself from the walls, when he became aware.

_- There must be another way doctor!. If we do, a battle will ensue that we don´t know if we can win! -_

_- Admiral!, there are several communication attempts that we can not decipher due to the accumulation of static. The computers are not functioning well due to radiation, so I tried to answer them as best I could. Besides the "Destiny Ascension" is moving to a range of two thousand miles away -_ Adelle said in a tone of urgency, while rattling furiously on her terminal. A light discharge from the computer dragged her hands away from the keyboard.

_- No doubt to prepare a salvo of shots from its mass accelerators -_ Cho Li commented, sounding pessimistic.

Rick turned to see Dr. Lang and the face of the scientist contorted into a grimace. His powerful mind working a mile a minute. The faces of Max and Miriya were shadowed by doubt. Adelle and Karen rose from their seats, away from their terminals. Cho tried to control his nervousness walking from here to there. He would not turn to see Lisa, but he could feel her behind him, tense and clinging tightly to his arm in a gesture of anxiety that threatened to leave deep claw marks in his arm.

_- [There is another way!, if you activate the omnidirectional barrier as planned in the beginning, I can channel the flow of energy. Not enough to discharge all of the accumulation in the hull, but I can regulate the flow from here and dissipate the charge!, but ...] -_ the triumphant voice of the doctor was suddenly overshadowed.

_- Now what? -_ concerns started to reach its peak.

_- [The omnidirectional barrier is not designed to work with this potential and because of the damage being suffered by the circuits of the ship, I will not be able to regulate the first discharge. If my calculations are correct, the excess will find a way to dissipate. This means it´ll create an electromagnetic pulse of considerable intensity...] -_

That could be seen as another act of aggression, albeit on a smaller scale ...

_- Sir: There is movement!. A contingent of ships is positioned in the area adjacent to The Citadel. Recorded at least one Tristar-class cruiser or its equivalent, and several light cruisers Garfish-class equivalents -_ Karen Penn commented without taking her eyes off the screen.

_- Frigate wolf packs!, now they surely consider us hostiles! -_ commented the Asian, unable to contain the anxiety in his voice.

_- Dr. Lang, what are the effects on the station if the synchro-cannon is fired at this distance? -_

_- [Although not aimed directly to them, there may be phenomena such as ionization of air in the station, a series of electromagnetic pulses that could wipe out all unprotected electronic equipment within a radius of miles. A drastic increase in heat and a long chain of etceteras, in many cases fatal for them] -_

_- Another transposition is out of order, I imagine -_

_- [Not if you plan to die fried... you know what i mean...] - _

Rick shuddered. It seemed that things were not going to be easy anyway. His mind made the decision as swiftly as he could.

_- They´ll surely consider us hostiles after this. Doctor: Get ready to discharge the stored energy through the omnidirectional barrier!. If we survive this, we can apologize later! -_

The German came out of the screen for about ten seconds, then he returned:

- [At you order Admiral!] -

_- Penn!: Activate the barrier on my mark -_ the blond Karen ran to her position, wincing from pain due to the static running through her body. However she didn´t relent:

_- ¡On your mark! -_

_- Mark! -_

On the Engineering deck, Emil Lang led her team to make connections and derive the flow through different channels, directing the energy of the heat sinks. His men worked as nimbly as they could. The doctor shifted the burden redirected to one of the capacitors that was still operable, and when it was near its maximum potential, channeled it to the omnidirectional barrier...

* * *

On The Citadel, Air Traffic Control had been dazzled by the appearance of the SDF-3, but when they regained the vision and had visual confirmation with the appeared ship, communications soared. Various positions along the giant space station reported directly to headquarters, they were seeing a huge craft that had appeared out of nowhere. It had not come through any mass relay and didn´t have identification codes of any known race, whether or not part of the Council.

In the first few seconds, the Citadel Fleet, patrolling nearby groups of relays, was ordered to return and assemble a thousand miles away from the space station, near the sector where the alien ship had been sighted. While that happened, the people of the Wards and the Presidium had left their homes, omnitools and cameras in hand. There had never been anything like it in all the years of history that The Citadel had records of. People commented and speculated as who would be the builders of such spacecraft.

In the main cabin of the ATC, Executor Palin, head of C-Sec, who had been taken out of the graduation speech for the new generation of recruits from the Academy, noted the gigantic apparatus and couldn´t believe his eyes. The Air Control Master, a Salarian known as Jael Koresh, stood beside him, with an expression of intrigue:

_- Where did it come from? -_ asked the sound Turian approaching his colleague. He was higher and imposing, but the other alien had an air of certainty that his companion could not match.

_- We don´t know. Materialized in a flash in front of us. it´s stationed about eight hundred kilometers and not responding to communication attempts -_ the Control Master turned his back to the show. Never in his short life, had he heard of a race that could travel between stars without using the mass relays. That intrigued him greatly.

_- Can´t we determine whether or not is it hostile? -_ asked the Executor. The metal contraption in black and yellow stood against the pink light of the Serpent nebula.

_- No, and protocols for First contact force us to stand by until communication is established or there is an attack -_ said the other in that distorted voice typical of the amphibian Salarians.

_- That ship´s design looks vaguely familiar to me... What about the Citadel Fleet? - _

_- Captains Asterius from the "Pride of Palaven", and Krilik from the frigate wolf pack group "Victory in Parthia", are coming with their ships from relay number twenty. They were ordered to stand between the possible hostile and The Citadel. The core group will take twelve minutes, because the message came during a maneuver to regroup the main body of the fleet. Matriarch Lidanya led the "Destiny Ascension" to two thousand kilometers, to get into the minimum effective range of their weapons, and is standing on the right side of the objective, in position to shoot when necessary. The locking mechanism of the station is on hold and in the event of an attack we can close it in less than five minutes. Once the group patrolling relay thirty-six arrives, we´ll have almost a hundred ships to take on this new arrival and if it is a diversion, eighty percent of the fleet will still be waiting, patrolling the strategic locations - _the Control Master showed that kind of talk, so characteristic of his people, quickly and concise.

_- Sir: Active sensors are detecting a large accumulation of electromagnetism in the hull. Their energy levels exceed those of the systems of The Citadel. However there is no new positioning of the ship, there´s no deployment of weapons, nor movements are seen outside the hull. If I may say so, is more like they´re having a setback with his craft -_ a human controller called them to show the readings of his interface. These measurements did not bode well.

_- Malfunctions. Could be a trap -_ the Turian advanced to the air controllers. As head of security at the station, it was his duty to contemplate such possibilities.

_- We won´t know until they answer -_ that was the most prudent approach and so it was pointed to the eager bureaucrat.

_- Sir: There are radio messages reaching to the station, they seem quite distorted by the energy emanating from the ship -_ static distorted what could be a voice.

_- Can you try to rebuild them?, no matter how long it takes. Do it -_ ordered the Salarian and so the human began his work, applying filters and trying to recognize patterns in what seemed a chaos of frequencies.

_- Sir: there is also movement. Some devices are emerging from the body of the ship, similar to antennae. An excessive amount of energy is flowing between them. It has activated a shield, two kilometers in extension. Looks similar to our kinetic barriers. Plus... Oh god! -_

Executor Palin and Jael Koresh observed both at the same time as the ship was surrounded by a semi-transparent bubble of energy. The disturbing thing came later, when it fired a tremendous wave of energy, which first hit the ships of the Council that would face it and proceeded to The Citadel. Salarian and Turian, both ducked under the tables while people around him got away from electronic systems. It was not enough. Many operators, including the humans near them, fell to the ground, struck by arcs of electricity jumping between their omnitools and haptic interfaces.

On the Wards, many people received damage when their interfaces exploded in their hands, many others fell into shock due to the feedback of their electronic implants. Many were saved that day, waking up two minutes later, feeling like a Krogan had rammed them head on, but many others would not have the same fate. Several crucial devices exploded almost immediately, but life support and lighting control remained relatively intact. In the Tower of the Council, which was shielded against electrical variations, images and data interfaces showed a considerable amount of interference that disrupted their operations for several minutes.

When the two bureaucrats rose again, looked up and saw something that froze the blood of their veins. Many of the frigates on captain Krilik´s group had been damaged and began to move slowly away from the area of operations.

_- They are hostile!, close the station!, and get me the Destiny Ascension!, on the double! - _

It was 2322 hours...

* * *

_Surroundings of C-Sec precinct, Zakera Ward_

_The Citadel._

_2324 hours local time_

David Anderson came down in a hurry through the emergency stairs to the street that went near the C-Sec facilities. A few minutes ago, all elevators and electronic equipment had failed miserably. Many people had suffered when their electronic devices had exploded in their hands. The Citadel was in the dark in many places and people were beginning to realize that all the security they had taken for granted, dissipated as fog the wind blows away.

Very soon the panic was making itself present, embodied in a fat human lady who had lost her child in the dark, or an Asari who had lost sight of his Hanar friend.

The situation was the perfect reflection of how his own fear was turning against him. He had agreed to take the suggestion of the girl, out of desperation. His military career was at stake, but so was the life of a group of human beings. All because of a huge misunderstanding.

He was already in the immediate area. Had ordered Velázquez and Huxley to get a transport, but the electrical pulse that shook everything and everyone had spoiled that plan. The building was only half-lit, because of an emergency generator, the standard of every C-Sec facility. A semi-lit hallway, with an amber security light, which looked like a cave, like the ones the old fables of the Earth said, went straight to the heart of hell, opened up a few feet from the door. Standing on each side was a couple of guards: An Asari and a Salarian, guns drawn. At the junction to the right were two other passages, leading to the supply area and the Wards. No doubt the former was mostly secure, but he doubted the police station might have enough officers to protect every street in the district.

He stood, looking in the dark, hoping not to attract any unwanted attention when he heard a soft voice behind him:

_- Do not turn back captain. They could take you for a madman, and the last thing you want is to raise suspicions. Sit on the stairs below the ornamental cherry tree. It offers a good perspective of the panorama - _

The mature military man did what the girl asked. She couldn´t be seen, but he felt as if she was walking near his side. When he had reached the place and accommodated himself as if pretending to rest, she said:

_- A date under a half-lighted cherry tree!, how very romantic!... -_ she appeared behind the tree, displaying a somewhat unexpected humor.

_- Ms. Goto. I remember your name and profession, you are the most wanted human thief. Why do you want to help me? -_

_- And here I thought that i didn´t have any Alliance fans!. Do not worry Anderson, the deal is very simple: The Alliance Navy has something that interests me, C-Sec has something that you´re interested in. I'll help you get what you require, out of the cells, and you get me what I need. "Quid pro quo" -_

_- You are a thief. Why asking for my help, if your specialty is infiltrating to the most watched places? -_

_- Please don´t picture me as naive captain. Being the best thief involves not being a suicide or an idiot. I am neither. If you need to know, the info I require it´s on a server in the Alliance, to which there are only two accesses: One in Arcturus station and the other in the human embassy where I was "listening without permission " -_

_- And the access from the embassy has been blocked, so you need me to help you get this information... -_

_- I see why Commander Shepard has you in high esteem, captain. You´ll understand a business trip to the Arcturus station can be dangerous to my health -_

_- And instead of asking the Shadow Broker for this valuable information, you prefer to appeal to me... - _

_- I´m offering you my experience in getting forbidden things. You need a woman with knowledge of what you´re about to do, if you want to stand a chance of getting away with it. On the other hand, I am persona non grata to the Shadow Broker, so making a deal with him is not an option -_

_- And how do I know that what you want is not going to harm the Alliance?. As desperate as I look, I'm still sworn to defend humanity from its enemies. And talking about info from a server so guarded and isolated as you mention, surely it can´t bring anything good with it -_

_- I´m afraid I can explain my interest for sure. But that doesn´t mean you will understand it in the same way -_

_- Try me! -_

Kasumi told him her story, omitting some fancy details such as the contents of Keiji´s "gray box" and its intrusion into the Alliance. He didn´t try to appeal to the sentimentality of the man, explaining how valuable were the memories of her lover, but she couldn´t hold back the sincere tears, nor the tremor in her lower lip when she mentioned his death. That was maybe, just that... what the brown man noticed and what he meditated about for a few seconds before answering:

_- Those that are done for love are the greatest follies... but sometimes those are more worth the effort. I was not free of them and maybe i´ll never be. Also, my situation is dire and it requires somewhat drastic measures. Alright -_

_- Amen -_

_- And how do we come and go without arousing suspicion? - _asked the officer, watching the two aliens standing guard.

_- Leave it on me good man, leave it on me... - _

* * *

_Citadel Airspace,_

_2325 hours, local time_

Matriarch Lidanya and her Asari crew were just waiting for the "Victory in Parthia" group to finish positioning. The warrior thought, while keeping her eyes fixed on the strange craft in front of her, on the possible consequences of her failed offensive. During the Rachni Wars and the Krogan Rebellions, she had to fight against powerful enemies, relentless, really willing to destroy the Citadel races. The Salarian intelligence apparatus had done its job and knew everything about them. By contrast, whoever these newcomers were, their information systems were not sure of its potential.

Pondered the times she had been in battle, and recalled how she had felt fear. Never for her safety, but for the one of the people who depended on her. She didn´t despise her life, but tried to use fear in her favor. However, that feeling was present at every moment, like a slight buzz in her lower back, walking slowly over her spine, touching the heartstrings of her curvaceous figure. She tried to calm herself reciting once again, very quietly, that old litany that she didn´t know where or how long since she had heard it:

_I must not fear, fear is the mind killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain._

It didn´t decreased her cravings, but helped her to focus on what was to happen. One of her aides brought her back to reality:

_- Matriarch Lidanya: Communication from the Council -_

The members of the Council, with worried faces, appeared before her. The Asari could say with certainty that the presence of the visitors was disturbing them.

_- [Matriarch Lidanya: The station has received an unaccounted amount of damage, as well as its citizens, due to an electromagnetic pulse that the unknown ship unleashed before us. Executor Palin has ordered the destruction of it. We hope you will carry out the order to the letter] -_

_- Councilor Tevos, Councilor Valern, Councilor Amoth: I am aware of what the Executor Palin has ordered. I received this request personally... however I´m under the impression that these visitors are not hostile, and that the releasing of that power surge was not due to malicious reasons -_

_- [Absolutely ridiculous, why would they have generated a pulse of such magnitude, if it was not a prelude to an attack?] -_ Councilor Valern of the Turian Hierarchy, was not willing to yield, as always.

_- It may be due to a failure in their discharging systems for heat and power, just as with our own ships -_ the Asari said with all the tranquility of the world.

_- [A preposterous excuse!] -_ added the Turian, inspiring a look from Councilor Tevos that screamed caution. Lidanya fantasized about pulling out his entrails.

_- [Do you have any information on which to base your suspicions?] -_ the Salarian councilor stepped forward, his face half-hidden, as usual, by its diplomatic dark robe.

_- I can only speak with knowledge of their actions, Councilor Amoth, and I must say that one minute before the download, we received a message that we are still trying to decipher because of static -_

_- [Why are we still discussing this?. It´s perfectly clear that these newcomers haven´t come to stand peacefully] -_ the belligerent Turian attacked again. The matriarch thought sometimes Valern itself was a danger to the Council.

_- [Lidanya, have you received any other communication attempt from the ship in question?] -_ Tevos asked, her eyes showing more doubts than the ones the question posed.

_- I´m afraid not Councilor Tevos, but the conditions of communication are difficult at this moment -_ ended the Asari commander. She could taste the response that would arise on the lips of all of them, without being specifically formulated...

_- [There is no choice then. The order is confirmed. You can proceed] -_

_- Councilors, wouldn´t it be more prudent to send a ship to invest...? -_

_- [Matriarch Lidanya, if this is a trap from Saren and the Geth, we will not fall into it. There are no signs of communication from them, so we can assume they are hostile. The protocols state that otherwise would have tried to communicate, but we might not understand their language. There hasn´t been such a message, so we will stick to our protocols, and may it be what the Goddess wants. Either way you have your orders] – _Councilor Tevos said, with that lapidary tone that she knew so well. She wasn´t about to recoil, but it was very possible that they were to regret such actions.

The line went dead and the crew looked forward to her:

_- Contact the "Pride of Palaven" and the strike group. Tell them we have been authorized. We are not waiting for the reinforcements. It starts now - _

* * *

_2323 hours Citadel time_

On the SDF-3, the energy release had left the bridge inoperable for a few minutes, as well as half the ship. They all had taken cover from the sudden burst of light. When they looked up, the effects of their bold maneuver could be seen:

_- Electromagnetic discharge af about hundred and twenty megajoules. Enveloped the ships in front of us and part of the space station. There is significant damage visible to the naked eye in several of them and a group of twenty are separating away from the area of operations. Our own ship has received damage in several systems -_

_- Adelle, restore communication with Dr. Lang, immediately! -_

_- Yes sir -_

While Hunter and the others watched the screen, the brunette contacted the Engineering deck as she could. The image of Dr. Lang in the screen was a bit blurry and distorted:

_- [Rick, I am channeling the energy of the sinks directly to the shields. The maneuver was effective, but it has caused another problem. The capacitors that supply the various spacecraft systems, including communications and weapons, were blocked as a standard measure of protection, due to the sudden variation of the magnetic field of the ship. I can assure you that everything is in order, but the estimated completion of the restart and commissioning of systems is of about ten minutes. The maximum duration of the omnidirectional barrier before the stored energy is depleted is of the same ten minutes, but it´ll be reduced if they attack us with heavy weapons. I suggest you to prepare, we will be targets in a shooting gallery for some time] -_

The bridge was silent. The powerful shield enveloping the SDF-3 was in all likelihood, the only defense against the ships that surely would come over. A tremendous roar shook the vehicle. The Destiny Ascension had launched a volley from their several mass accelerators...

_- Hurry up Doctor!. We´ll buy you all the time we can -_ the line went dead immediately, replaced by the tactical display offered by Adelle.

_- Admiral, the space station is closing! -_ a visual image of The Citadel moving its arms slowly dominated the screen.

_- It's doing it very slowly. At this rate it may take about ten or twelve minutes to close completely. If you do not penetrate the structure before that time, you may need a giant can opener -_ Cho Li said.

_- Well ... Lisa, I need you ready to confer with The Council. Max will take you, Li and an official escort to the structure Captain Sparks called the Council Tower. With our luck, it may be the only way to survive before they realize that the barrier is not infinite -_

_- Alright Admiral. Let´s go! -_ The diplomatic officer nodded to the Asian who accompanied her, feeling that all the aplomb of the world was not enough for what they were about to face.

Adelle and Karen looked at each other with a deadly chill running through their backs. Max and Miriya also turned to look at each other, then to Rick and he returned the look surreptitiously. Then the group left the bridge for the armory. They all knew how bad things could get quickly.  
_  
- I have an idea: How much energy the new Aegis DS-3 defense mechanism consume? - _ask the admiral to their air controllers, watching the fleet in front of him.

_- It consumes half the energy per minute than What the Omnidirectional Barrier DS-1 does. The new device combines the virtues from the Pin-point barrier DS-2 and the main shield. It is positionable but it covers only one area of the ship, ´be it the bow, stern or one of the sides. It is in turn more risky, since the protection is positioned closer to the outer hull... - _confirmed Karen, citing a response taken almost word for word from the Robotech Technical Manual.

_- ... but you already knew that Admiral - _the brown-haired Adelle said, noting the sudden gleam in the eyes of the old pilot.

_- Correct. Let's buy us some time. Start the DS-3 system... - _

On the bridge of "Ascension", the matriarch watched carefully the tactical display. She had ordered a round of shots, after the communication with the Council. But the salvo, of her ship, the attack group and the Turian cruiser, had done nothing more than crashing into the translucent barrier that had covered the aggressor. Any common kinetic shield would have collapsed after receiving half that number of projectiles. However, the newcomers were unfazed. But there was no known structure in the galaxy, except for The Citadel and the mass relays, to endure a second round:

_- Prepare to launch a second salvo! - _ordered the Asari.

_- Charging mass accelerators. Second salvo ready in twenty seconds - _said the main controller to her left side.

_- Determine concentration of vector paths of fire at one point, towards the bow! - _continued the officer without losing sight of the goal.

_- Second salvo ready. Firing solution acquired! - _confirmation came from the artillery position, behind her.

_- Fire at will! -_

The still attractive Asari observed the second wave of missiles accelerate to a fraction of the speed of light and fully impact the barrier. Several explosions shook the shield, but at the end of the fireworks, the spacecraft and its protection still stood, as if only the wind had struck them:

_- Detecting variations in energy coming from the ship. The shield around it seems to oscillate with different electrical charges. Our sensors are being distorted as a result of the electromagnetic pulse, so I can´t identify with certainty what are they... I´ll correct that ... they are positioning themselves in front of us -_

_- They are challenging us to shoot! - _the whisper came from the back.

_- Or they are trying to provide the minimum target if the barrier fails. We will launch spaced bursts of gunfire. Prepare firing solution, concentrating fire on the weaker structural point you can find in their hull. If one of our fire goes past their cover, they´ll regret it. What about our fighters and interceptors? -_

_- Fighters and interceptors ready to launch on your order! -_

_- The strike group "Iberica", and the dreadnoughts "Rising Star" and "Rubicon" just arrived. they´re behind us about a thousand seven hundred kilometers -_ said her flight controller.

Lidanya focused and reasoned her strategy for a minute:

_- Keep on hold accelerator shots until i declare otherwise. Open a channel with all the captains -_

_- Communication established -_

In the oval command center of the transport, the sepia-toned picture of several Asari and Turian captains filled the display:

_- Matriarch Lidanya, what are your orders? - _Asked captain Asterius, concealing a look of malice, which accentuated the white stripes of his facial tattoo. Lidanya knew of him, willful, a little reckless, a good leader, but not very bright. How he came to be captain of a cruiser was a question not many could answer.

_- The enemy has a shield different from our kinetic barriers. Such protection is impenetrable to our strongest weapons, as you may have observed. Even a massive bombardment has failed to break through its shield. But they haven´t decided to attack, so we must assume that either their weapon systems are disabled, or they don´t work while their shield is active. I need you to launch your interceptor squadrons armed with disruptor torpedoes... -_

_- I understand: If they lower the shield to launch their own fighters, your accelerator cannons will massacre them -_ captain Krilik ended. As an strategist and as a person she trusted him more than his other fellow captains. It was only a matter of seniority, the fact that Asterius was above him.

_- Correct gentlemen, and if our torpedoes strike true, the oscillating power of the dark energies released, will shred them to pieces. Even if they didn´t, a discharge of such amount of energy will be enough to deactivate their shield -_ the violet blue-skinned woman completed.

_- Excellent plan Matriarch. Two minutes to launch vehicles -_ the captain of the Dreadnought Rubicon added:

_- We can also fire the Javelin missile prototypes, and in the worst case, we can drop a bomb of mass effect -_

_- I Don´t think it may be necessary sirs, but keep your batteries ready. Captain Krilik, as their shield falls take a sweep to their backs. Use your units to disable their sub-light engines and gun emplacements. Captain Aislin: Have the "Iberica" attack group strengthen the group of Captain Krilik. We will disable them. The Council ordered the destruction of the ship, but they have technology in it than we can learn a lot if we can capture it intact - _ordered the Matriarch. Would be taking a big risk doing that.

_- But that goes against the order of the Council! -_ the claim came from Aspius Celern, the captain of the Dreadnought "Rising Star".

_- I am the Field Commander of the Citadel Fleet!. Despite the orders of the Council, I have reason to believe they are not necessarily hostile!. Do what I order and leave the politics to me! -_

_- As you wish Matriarch -_ the officers complied with the orders and communications ceased.

The Asari again revised her preparations, while the reinforcements made their moves. The attack would begin again in two minutes. The feeling of what humans used to call "fishy" came from all this, but she would not allow a strange hunch to stand between her and her duty...

* * *

_C-Sec Precinct, Zakera Ward, _

_The Citadel_

_2326 hours local time_

Anderson approached the entrance of the police station in a hurry. Kasumi had formulated a plan that was fine, especially with the conditions in which the power supply was. The idea was simple but no less worthy, and considering that they wouldn´t have to fight with all the staff to get the evidence and Jenny out of there, it seemed quite acceptable. All that planning had collapsed when he heard a shooting inside the enclosure. The officers who should be outside watching the entrance, had entered suddenly, then came the sound of more gunfire and it went out again.

There seemed to be no movement seen from the outside though.

_- The Shadow Broker wastes no time ... do not get distracted captain. This sends my magnificent plan to hell, and here I thought I wouldn´t have to draw my gun today! -_ said the thief who was with him, hidden by her tactical camouflage, in a very quiet voice.

The soldier ran to the door and peered inside. He saw no one, until he turned to the floor. In it, several bodies were lying, probably dead. There was no trace of the attacker, so it was probable that he was deeper inside the building, looking for something... for Jennifer and the alien materials!.

The man didn´t stop. Opened the door and stepped inside, ducking and covering with the tables and desks. The show that followed it crisped his nerves a little. The blue blood of a Turian mingled with the red of various humans and other alien colors in a rainbow mosaic that would have been fine for someone with macabre tastes. Similar images reminded him of the slaughter of Torfan, in all its brutal glory. The only difference was that then, the Batarians were the ones slaughtered, not the Council races.

He approached the body of a Salarian officer, the one that had asked him to wait for Chellick on his previous visit. He wasn´t an expert xenologist, but death corpses are twinned with each other in lividity. Kasumi appeared at her side, examining the body:

_- Assault rifle shots. __Several, in strategic areas. Whoever did this is a well-trained mercenary or hired gun. But by the number of bodies in here, he couldn´t do it alone. There are shotgun wounds on this one. Judging by the position of the dejected, a biotic probably helped him -_ she pointed to a Turian, lying in an unnatural position, whose tattoos stood out because of his blood.

For the master thief, the sight of such carnage was something unpleasant, which went against her ways of doing business. "If you have to use your weapon to enter or leave a place, then you are not worthy to call yourself a thief", she thought. There were more shots from inside the place. Screams filled the air. The military man feared the worst, so he took the gun of the Salarian by his side. These weapons were protected with a biological recognition system, preventing the chance of an attacker using the weapon against its legitimate owner. Anderson, however, had learned a few tricks in his N7 training and some others while serving aboard certain ships. Ejected the battery from the gun and forcing out a panel, crossed a couple of wires, resetting the memory. As soon as the domestic V.I. confirmed the captain as the new owner, he was quick to follow the woman, ready to shoot.

Advanced further into the precinct. She nodded her head and pointed to a corridor leading to the brig. Anderson turned away and stepped into the corridor. The holding cell area was dimly lit, in contrast to the previous room. He couldn´t see inside the cells and that filled him with anxiety. He brought his head to the corner and looked sideways.

In front of him, about twenty meters, was a Quarian, carrying a shotgun. Usually such beings were not involved in hazardous work, due to their dependence on the environmental suits they wore. A rupture in them and a torrent of bacteria and germs would invade their bodies, which were not normally able to tolerate the microorganisms other races were fully capable to fend. It was an inheritance from living for more than two hundred years in sterile environments, such as their ships.

Yet he had heard that the ones engaged in military life were reinforced with herbal supplements and massive doses of antibiotics as well as modifications to their suits, to hold greater amount of stress and self-repair if the case a shot broke through it. If this was coupled with the strict discipline of life in the Migrant Fleet, (the provisional convoy that had become the Quarian nation), magnified by the military training, the result was tough people, hard to intimidate and better trained than the elements of various paramilitary forces.

The captain watched as the alien tapped a cell (probably Jenny´s), and then went away to help an Asari, who struggled with the lock of a room. The evidence room.

_- I will make a bypass, you stand guard and when i call you, we'll go get that miserable –_ the Quarian said, noting the lock and making a sign to the alien. He recognized her: Sgt. Sibya. The thought crossed his mind: The officers dead and cast aside in unnatural positions, different brands of guns, that fact that she was the only living police at the station. He would be able to tell Chellick, if he was still alive, who was the spy on the precinct.

_- Okay -_ she said and started walking back to the cell area.

The soldier went into hiding at full speed. Apparently someone had dug in on the evidence room. In the hall he saw a dead body, apparently of a Turian judging by the size of his armor, but he was incapable of saying if it was the detective. He couldn´t imagine who was hiding on the evidence room. Saw her coming and retreated. It would be an uphill battle, knowing that all Asari had considerable biotic potential.

He went back into the hall and hid near the door frame. Kasumi had not said anything and he couldn´t feel her anywhere. He didn´t let that worry him. Waited until the alien was closer, her gun in front, checking her surroundings.

Watch the muzzle break through the threshold. Later the woman's shoulder. When she was about to turn right to point to any potential aggressor, the officer lunged at her, connecting a solid blow that made her drop the gun. Launched a second strike that eluded her, but she couldn´t fight back, because the human was over her. Grabbed her, trying to connect a knee but it wasn´t effective, thanks to the agility of the alien. She didn´t saw a sweep coming that made her lose balance. The man took the gun and pointed to her, but a blue glow illuminated the silhouette of the women:

_- Damn! -_

Pulled the trigger quickly, but the bullets bounced off the biotic shield with which the Asari had surrounded her body. The woman jumped up, trying to bang the human with a hit magnified by her power. He ducked, stepping aside and shooting again. After a couple of shots bounced thought it twice. More firepower was needed. The woman made a gesture and threw a singularity at the center of the room, that began attracting all the furniture and her opponent with it.

_- Captain Anderson, old busybody!. Now I'll have your wrinkled ass kicked, for messing with the wrong alien -_

The sailor couldn´t help being swept away by the power. She helped him by throwing a punch that propelled him, unable to resist the difference of gravities.

_- Don´t count on it - _he said, firing again without positive results.

_- How about I break all the bones in your body first? - _she asked giving him a right jab which sank completely into the pit of his stomach. Anderson felt that he was out of breath. Dropped the gun, opening his mouth gaping, trying to draw in some oxygen. His head ached and a sense of helplessness became present. She was already on it again, preparing a strike, when suddenly she heard a movement from behind:

_- Dodge This! -_

Kasumi had taken the gun she had dropped and pointed her at close range, firing a salvo that propelled back the police woman, crashing into a wall. It didn´t kill her because her personal barrier withstood the impact but it left her groggy. The singularity and the barrier dissolved in a second and Anderson fell to the ground. Just in time, because Sibya was up again with a new barrier and even more angry.

_- You´ll regret messing with me! -_ walking as she raised a couple of tables with biotics and threw them in their direction. Both ducked, allowing the furniture to pass over their heads.

_- I hear that phrase all the time -_ said the thief, preparing a tactic:

_- Distract her and when I tell you, take cover -_ ordered to the soldier. Anderson took the shotgun she offered and, as barricaded as he was behind a pillar, still feeling bad about the lack of air, began to shoot with a certain cadence, preventing the alien from coming too close.

Kasumi didn´t lost any time. In the previous shootout, the captain hit the electrical system and several cables had been exposed, cracking power from the auxiliary generator, on the points where they had been damaged. The Japanese digged through her pockets, getting a stun grenade she always carried for some unpleasant situations. Once she found it, and while the angry Asari came closer, pulled the firing pin and let it "cook" for a couple of seconds. Then she rolled it on the floor:

_- Take cover! -_ shouted.

The man fell back towards the pillar while the police officer watched the object roll around her. She could do nothing when the grenade exploded under her feet. A few seconds later, the man looked up. Kasumi lunged towards her. A blow to the face hit the woman, who took two steps back, out of balance. Then a blow to the base of the neck, that the Asari stopped and tried to fight with another blow biotically enhanced. The thief eluded her and grabbed the arm of her opponent, striking an elbow to her solar plexus and then projecting her right into the wall. The officer invoked her barrier in mid-flight, but it availed her nothing. When she struck the wall, touched the exposed wires accidentally. The short circuit that ensued left the station completely dark, and made a barrage of over three thousand watts circulate through her body. Her shield collapsed immediately. When finished, she hit the floor, smoking and charred.

The Alliance sailor rose, approaching the Asian. They made a gesture to each other and were headed to the evidence room, leaving behind the gruesome spectacle, when a roar made them turn. The woman lunged towards them, burned skin and muscles torn, but screaming like hell, only to be stopped short by a gunshot. Finally Sibya fell, eventually crushed by the massive amount of damage she had received.

_- Nice shot, I could use your skills every once in a while Anderson -_

The man smiled and ran down the hall. He was about to enter when the barrel of a gun made him stop. The Quarian had opened the evidence room, struck out the opposition and got the Flower of Life and the Robotech beacon, all stored in a bag.

_- Too bad. I thought that useless Sibya would get rid of you. Guess I can rectify that mistake. Drop it Anderson!, I wouldn´t move if i were you Goto!, I'd hate to remind you what happened the last time you did! - _Through the electronic filters of his suit, the voice of quarian heard particularly macabre. Made a gesture to the dark-skinned man and he lowered the shotgun and dropped it. He then beckoned him to come closer to the Japanese.

_- Do you know him? - _muttered the sailor, bad mood painted on his face.  
_  
- We are... professional rivals. The Shadow Broker will do anything to get that information, is it not Kalus? - _she said raising her hands to sign him.  
_  
- Kasumi Goto:The Broker will DEFINITELY pay me a large extra amount for bringing in the gray box you have in your head, not to mention what Donovan Hock would get me for it! -_

_- How dare you mention that name? - _

_- Aaah!, touchy!, aren´t you?. It's a shame you won´t be able to find the content of the gray box. What your friend found in the archives of the Alliance -_ the Quarian said, approaching the door. David turned to see the thief immediately and Kasumi's face just dropped. The other noticed the reaction:

_- Oohh, your buddy didn´t know, did he?. It seems you have caught your hands with the door Miss Goto –_ they couldn´t see the alien´s face through the face mask, but she could swear he had a grin under it.

_- Damn you, Kal, drop the nonsense! -_ she cried, thinking how she would tell the captain what the large-mouth Quarian had revealed.

_- And missing my moment of triumph over Kasumi Goto, the best thief in the galaxy, which has relegated me... ME!, Kalus Alor vas Noriga, to second place?. Not even a chance ... -_

Anderson felt trapped in a chess game that was not his. But as any good player does, hey simply waited, planning his moves.

_- Aleph Group: Proceed to the extraction. Outside the precinct in two minutes -_ the Quarian said, speaking to his omnitool. The two humans realized things were going to get very ugly.

_- Time to go ... Time for payback! - _said the thief and shot at close range to the Japanese. A blast and she didn´t rise. After that he pointed to him. Anderson saw the moments of his life go by in seconds when the gun was in front of him. He bowed her head. Therefore, he couldn´t notice someone smashing a chair on the head of the villain. When he heard the thump, reacted immediately pulling his face up:

_- What the...?, Jenny! -_

Jennifer Sparks was in front of him, brandishing the remains of a chair. After her came detective Chellick, visibly pale and limp.

_- Sorry it took so long, but he would not let me out of the cell! - _she said while dropping the blunt object. Turned the body of the stunned Quarian and got the backpack with the evidence. Both were intact.

_- Forget it Jenny. I'm glad you're okay! -_

_- It's good to see that you still remember how to fire a gun captain! –_ the Turian said extending his hand to the man, who did not reject it.

_- I am also glad to see you Chellick. Luck wasn´t too kind on you this day. I thought you were the entrenched one in the evidence room. And also guess you heard about Sibya´s involvement -_

_- Yes and no. I got some shots when the first assault struck, near the evidence room, but sometimes these armors give me surprises. I pretended I was dead and crawled into a dark cell. The entrenched was a rookie who was unable to prevent the thief from giving him a couple of shots in the face. When I came out, I knew I would need reinforcements, so i left out Miss Sparks. And as for Sibya... you have taken care of her. That counts as obstruction of justice... but I will not press charges or anything like that -_

_- I hope that you at least reconsider keeping her here, jailed –_ the military said pointing to his companion, who examined the scene.

_- If you take her, I will not object. It´ll take me a long time to explain what happened here. But the rest of The Citadel is also made a mess. I never imagined the Shadow Broker was capable of such deeds. No doubt he´s becoming a threat -_

_- Never underestimate what some men would do for power, officer. The information provides a very solid kind of power and a convenient one -_ the tone of the military man was now a bit condescending.

_- I´ll have to take that into account. My dealings with Chief Miller had just gone to hell, but I'm not stopping from pursuing the Shadow Broker -_

_- I hope you catch him Detective -_

Jennifer advanced toward the man, offering him a gun. The mature captain refused, taking the shotgun at his feet.

_- Let's get out of here, from what I´ve heard, Admiral Hunter has arrived already, and he will need all the help he can! - _she said, dusting her clothes.  
_  
- First we have to face the men of the Broker that are regrouping out there - _said the detective, checking the street. The sudden sound of transports put them on alert.

_- Come on! - _ordered Sparks  
_  
- Wait, my partner ... - _the captain said turning around to check the body of Kasumi.  
_  
- Which partner? - _asked the others. On the floor were the bodies of the policemen and Sibya, but there was no trace of Goto. Anderson stood there, scratching his chin thoughtfully, and prepared to leave.

The sounds of bullets were plying the streets. On one side were the men of the broker, in the same unmarked black armor they had seen before. On the other, stood a group of C-Sec officers. Having become aware of the shooting at the station, they had returned to check, staying under cover and repelling the aggression.

But something happened. Near one of the vehicles arrived, a Turian soldier fell to the ground violently and didn´t rise. His Salarian partner fired several bursts without any apparent target, until his weapon was taken away and discharged at close range. The kinetic barrier of another suffered a catastrophic overload that knocked him right away. And a man who had been driving a transport flew without apparently nobody propelling him.

When the car turned, trampling the soldiers who were near and stopping in front of the door, Anderson knew he was a fool to worry so much about the thief.

_- This transport goes straight to the Tower of the Council, will you ride or not captain? -_ she asked, appearing in the pilot's seat.

The soldier beckoned to his companions, while covering them with his gun...

* * *

_Citadel Airspace._

_2332 hours local time._

On the bridge of the SDF-3, Rick Hunter had seen the movements of the ships with great interest. Meanwhile he had ordered his pilots, led by Jack Baker´s Vermilion squadron, to be ready to take off when necessary. Dr. Lang had made significant progress with the repairs, considering he had to change more than one hundred pieces from different parts of the ship.

When the frigates of the Citadel began to surround them, Rick made his plan and waited. He had been patient while repairs were still ongoing and the enemy didn´t attack them. It is true they were taking their sweet time, but surely they were devising an strategy to overcome the protection of his ship.

When the display showed the equivalent of almost five fighter squadrons, Rick imagined what they prepared. Even though Sparks had failed to tell him much about the capabilities and weaponry of the aliens, he had seen much and fought in a good amount of space battles, from the journey of SDF-1 from Pluto to Earth, during his time with the Sentinels up to the betrayal of Edwards. What little he knew about these alien machines made them look like engineering marvels. But the seasoned Veritech pilot knew that, in some important aspects of combat, they were not up to the Robotech Expeditionary Force.

So when he saw the fighters assemble in formation to go against the barrier, he knew they would be sorry. The Zentraedi were more disciplined and better tacticians, and were defeated. The Invid fought with them on Earth and Tyrol, based on overwhelming numerical superiority. And Edwards kept them at bay thanks to the Shadow technology, which he recovered from the Invid. But none of them could defeat them.

The Citadel Fleet could be numerous, but strategy was on his side...

_- Admiral, over seventy fighters are approaching within a hundred kilometers of the barrier. They come armed with medium-range missiles -_ Adelle said, looking at the command screen.

_- The Disruptor Torpedoes captain Sparks told us about. Are the Alphas and Betas ready for the maneuver? -_ asked the soldier, undisturbed.

_- At your order Admiral. DS-3 barrier is also ready -_ the brown-haired commented.

_- Doctor Lang reports that we´ll have artillery back in a minute, and the Shadow device in three -_ Karen commented as she followed the progress of the fighters. Rick just smiled.

_- Fighters are releasing their payload. More than sixty missiles. Impact in twenty seconds ... -_

_- As soon as they strike the barrier and once the shock wave has passed, switch to the DS-3. Hopefully the ship will hold -_

_- Ten seconds... nine, eight, seven... -_

_- Prepare for impact! -_

_- Impact in two... one... - _

A huge shudder ran through the ship and rocked the staff. Arcs of electricity jumped between electrical devices and several operatives who were not prepared were killed instantly, through the enormous electrical potential. The ship trembled as if it had been put in one giant compacter. The metal cried audibly, and for a moment the crew thought that they would not leave alive. But the SDF-3 had endured many battles against superior forces and weapons of incredible power. His initial alloy of Chobham, later strengthened with carbon nanofibers and the material of confidence of the Robotech, Masters monopole, in addition to the technology of his Karbarran allies, master shipbuilders, had transformed it into an impregnable fortress.

It bore the brunt of the forces of dark energy that was unleashed upon the omnidirectional barrier. And when the dispersion of the energy generated by the torpedoes passed, the admiral gave the signal:

- Karen, change the barriers now! -

The blond controller entered the instructions in her terminal in a hurry...

* * *

_- Captain Krilik, it's your turn! -_ commented the Matriarch Lidanya from her position on the bridge when she saw the barrier dissipate.

_- Entering combat now!, what the hell? ... Matriarch!, the barrier is still intact! -_ the Turian said through the comm. when he tried to bring his ship near the SDF-3. The tactics display in blue and red, showed that the frigates attack group were stopped by a kind of wall.

_- It can´t be... -_ disbelief was painted on her face, as she watched the frigates fire their weapons against the ship, only to be stopped by the invisible shield.

_- Matriarch, the ship is launching interceptors to counter the frigates, ten, twenty, thirty ... fifty ... eighty ... over one hundred and twenty! -_ her air controller said. In the holographic display the ship was giving way to a larger number of vehicles. Bigger than her fighters, but at least as fast as them. The screen was filled with units identified in the red color assigned to the enemy. They were soon as numerous as the blue units, their units...

_- By the Goddess!, its also an aircraft carrier!. Get ready to shoot the mass accelerator batteries!, we have to get them out soon in the battle –_ she ordered.

_- Batteries lists, acquired shooting solution! -_

_- Fire! - _

The salvo of the Destiny Ascension and the other space dreadnoughts traveled to the SDF-3, which seemed like it would receive all the kinetic energy of more than sixty shells a quarter ton each. But the projectiles landed in a smaller version of the barrier which she had already seen before. A new shield stood between them and their prey.

_- It cannot be! -_ the expression of the matriarch was more than frustration. It was pure anger.

_- Matriarch, the enemy barrier has disappeared. When you fired upon them, the barrier gave way to us. But now we can´t defend ourselves from their fighters!, our GARDIAN systems can´t target them, as if their energy emissions were masked!. At this rate... aarrggh! -_ Krilik said, when his ship was rocked by an explosion, and the transmission was lost.

The Matriarch began to feel again that horrible feeling that was fear, inexorably climbing up her back...

* * *

In battle, Jack Baker got the task of looking after his pilot´s backs. They had been deployed when the frigates had stopped the first attack, to retaliate. At takeoff he had lost some troops, but once they activated the Shadow devices, the defensive sites of the vessels had a thousand problems to achieve a target. The result was that they had kicked out of the battle several transports, suffering only the loss of another airman and making the command ship of the strike group suffer several breakdowns, becoming stranded at ten kilometers of the SDF-3.

While Baker was firing his Disruptor pod, putting out of commission several other transports´ systems and encouraging others to retreat, he took his time to admonish his fliers:

_- Vermilion four: Watch your left flank. Six and seven: Assist to disable target five. Keikeya: Where is your partner?, Anders: don´t saturate the channel! -_

_- [It was behind me about twenty seconds ago, sir] - _

_- [Here I am, had a slight damage to the turbines, but everything seems in order now] -_

_- Vermilion Nine: Do not risk it, return to the SDF-3 for evaluation and possible repairs -_

_- [But I'm fine!] -_

_- Are you discussing my orders airman? -_

_- [No... Sir, falling back to the SDF-3] -_

_- [Vermilion Leader: Zephyr Leader reporting: All the bandits in our turf are removed or disabled, Gryphus and Roc Leaders reported scaring away the bandits with minimal casualties, Amber and Wyvern squads report one casualty each. Fokker and Kridanik leaders report fighters returning to deck for inspection of their Alphas, of about ten per cent of its pilots] -_

_- This is Vermilion Leader: Billings, what about Emerald and Fenrir squads? -_

_- [Both are facing the enemy in the most distant quadrant, but it seems that they have tipped the race in their favor] - _

_- Alright Billings, report the overall status when we´re done -_

_- [Vermilion Leader: There is movement in the second quadrant, equivalent Tristar and the group of interceptors are trying to outflank us] -_ Adelle, the flight controller on duty, called Baker´s attention. Although Jack knew Karen Penn was helping her, it still was the duty of the attractive brown-haired girl to manage the flow of battle.

_- Vermilion Leader here: Our work is completed with minimal casualties. We will regroup and take care of interceptors Adelle -_

_- [That´s no-go Lieutenant Commander Baker. Let the Commander Sterling and her wing take care of them. Regroup and allow the cruise to come in range of our weapons sites. Then when i give you the signal, proceed with the attack] -_

_- Wilco. Captains of Vermilion Wing: Regroup at the first quadrant. On my command, we´re going to send that cruise back to where it came from! -_

_- [Copy Vermilion Leader] - _answered the leaders of the different squadrons of the fighter wing.

_- [The SDF-3 has activated weapon sites!] -_ Keikeya´s voice made him turn towards the giant ship, where more than two hundred nests were rallying her weapons.

_- [As well as the Destroids. Look, there are the Phoenix´s and the Commander!] - _that was Billings, Zephyr Squadron Leader.

As they left the cruiser to approach, Baker watched as the Phoenix Combat Wing came out of the hangar. The Phoenix was one of the new air groups of the Expeditionary Force, trained pilots selected by Commanders Sterling. It was a quick-response force that Admiral Hunter had decided not to send along with Earth Reclaiming Robotech Force, maintaining a good mix of veteran pilots and promising newcomers in reserve. Their vehicles were painted a sky blue diagonal stripe and white with the emblem of a phoenix design similar to the old heraldry of the Army of the Southern Cross. Very consistent for them, since that group had a lot of pilots who had belonged to that elite before, having arrived during the exodus of Dana Sterling and the survivors of the attack of the Robotech Masters, at least ten years ago.

_- Pay attention to your work and let the commander show these aliens a sample of what is to fly -_

Baker moved the controls on his Alpha and felt the pull of acceleration. Nearly eight g´s shook his body, when he gave a sharp turn, placing his craft in the standard five units formation of Vermilion squadron. Then turned his attention to the cruise which was moving towards his left flank...

* * *

Matriarch Lidanya had determined that none of their weapons worked to bypass the shield that their enemies had put between them and their artillery, and had chosen to launch its contingent reserve fighters to help the "Pride of Palaven". Attempted a diversion as well by launching the prototype Javelin missiles. These were led by V I.s to find their targets, reducing collateral damage. But they hadn´t had any success. In addition to the weapons sites of the outer shell, the enemy had engineered some sort of robotic armor, on the style of the Hahne-Kedar new security robot prototype. These devices however were more versatile, larger and better armed. Although the V.I.s were programmed for circumventing many automated standard shooting programs, a trained pilot could hunt and destroy the missiles before they could do harm. Nearly ninety-five percent of the missiles had been disabled in this way, by those mobile weapons sites, the most fortunate ones hitting the hull, without doing too much damage.

The wolf pack attack group "Victory in Parthia" was reduced to a series of floating space debris surrounding the giant enemy ship. Many of the "Iberia" group frigates had been removed from the relentless battle because of the siege of opposing fighters. The enemy might have a good chance to disable their reinforcements, if she had in mind the fate suffered by Captain Krilik´s frigates, but she had to take the risk. The Turian had succeeded in restoring communications, but their attack systems were disabled and he had no human material to try an board the huge ship. Also, if his enemies had succeeded in repelling them on space combat, a frontal attack would not make much difference.

Captain Asterius had reported that they were exchanging salvos with the huge ship, its accelerators hitting the left side of the ship when they were attacked and disabled by the same interceptors that had repelled the frigates. "Disabled" was the correct word. Excepting some transports who had received too much damage and didn´t withstand the negative feedback of their systems, most vehicles had left the battle without living casualties. Her opponents have been limiting themselves to defend from the siege, without causing more damage than necessary. That attitude had greatly surprised her and it gave her even more to think, that if his enemies wanted to defeat them utterly, it would have been a real slaughter.

As Commander in Chief from the Citadel Fleet,l it was her duty to assess the combat situations that were occurring, and this was one in which her tactical pride had been damaged. However she had to admit that having seen a single dreadnought disable two groups of frigates, while neutralizing the power of three of the most powerful attack ships in the fleet, did miracles for thinking about reconsidering options.

Asked her assistant to display the images of her fighters encountering the enemy:

In the space surrounding the alien ship, the fighters of the Citadel had tried to approach again to launch a second wave of torpedoes, which had been intercepted by the point-defense mechanisms of the ship. Then the stylized interceptors of the enemy fell upon them. At one time their guns didn´t seem to inflict any damage, because of the kinetic barriers of her pilots, but when one of them unleashed a barrage of seven small short-range missiles, which engulfed two of her fighters, she realized things were not going to be so simple. The explosive power of the missiles exceeded the capacity of the shield and both fighters were damaged, transforming them into little balls of fire that quickly became extinct.

When the same interceptor, painted in red and white, repeated the dose to two other fighters, without damaging them, but fatally diverting its course, and disabling a third one with a shot from an energy cannon in the nose of his ship, she knew they had to drive the pilot out of the game. The squad leader was ordered to concentrate their attack on the flyer, but the tactic quickly turned out for worse. When wanting to catch him in a circling maneuver, his ship made a strange stunt and shot out vertically. She would never forget that moment, when the ship changed its shape, becoming a humanoid figure with an energy rifle in its hands, killing his rivals in a display of air maneuverability bordering on the extreme.

It soon became worse, when she realized that some other pilots made similar moves, and to top it off, she noticed that the fighters left their bulky rear drives, separating themselves from it. Those in turn transformed into the same combat robots, equally versatile and elusive as the main fighters. In a trap movement, sixty of the eighty-five vehicles that were sent to reinforce the "Pride of Palaven" perished. Ten of them returned, with a lot of damage. The rest were left floating in space, unable to do anything. The enemy had lost only eight of their own.

Without any troops to reinforce her ship, she was stucked, waiting for reinforcements to arrive, which should happen in two minutes or less. The "Pride of Palaven" had lost its engines and weapons sites destroyed by the enemy. In total a single ship had inflicted severe damage to five percent of the fleet. Completely unacceptable.

Also, as the battle unfolded, a transport ship the size of a light frigate, had maneuvered to the inside of the station, allowing it to take a group of troops to the Tower of the Council. She had warned Executor Palin and the Presidium ring defenses had been activated, but she wasn´t sure that was going to stop the newcomers.  
_  
- Matriarch: Reinforcement and cyberwarfare ships of Commander Sadar from the Salarian contingent, and dreadnoughts "Lancia", "Aquila" and "Quatroventa" had just arrived, they´re five thousand kilometers of us, to port -_

_- Get ready for a second assault! - _ordered the Matriarch, clenching her fists. But she hadn´t had time to devise a second strategy. Surprise and shock on her face, as well as the soldiers of the Fleet, came through the radio channel:

_- This is Admiral Hunter Robotech Expeditionary Force!, stop your attack immediately!, our intentions are not hostile!, we´re asking for a peaceful parley with the Council of the Citadel! -_

_- Put me on the line with that ship, immediately! -_

* * *

_Inter-wards space, on route to the Tower of the Council_

_The Citadel._

_2236 hours local time._

Kasumi made evasion maneuvers while the shots of her pursuers went past. Captain Anderson and the redheaded Sparks answered the fire, without much luck, while the detective Chellick tried to help as best he could.

The Broker´s men were persistent to say the least. Despite having won one of their transports and having disabled some elements of their strike force, they hadn´t ceased their pursuit. The thief didn´t know how much the operative´s handler would be willing to make, to retrieve the things that were in the back of the car, arranged in a bag. But she knew that the operation that had to be mounted was very risky. He was playing a lot of their resources to get these objects, so whatever they were, surely were of utmost important.

She made a sudden turn and rose to leave behind one of the transports which had come too far, prompting a groan of her passengers, by the unexpected maneuver. She could see the Tower of the Council, coming slowly towards them. She wasn´t able to go down to street level, because the traffic would have stopped them, and the last thing they needed was to give time for others to approach.

One of their pursuers in the nearest rapidtrans, pulled out a ML-77 rocket launcher, a weapon that only certain manufacturers from the Terminus Systems could do. Kasumi accelerated more, feeling that her foot was penetrating on the cover of aluminum and fiberplastic of the car and begging to whoever was necessary to stay out of their attack range.

The rocket flew out and she made a sudden movement, sending all passengers on their right side. Chellick´s complaints and the growl of Anderson told her they were fine.

_- We'll have a few forced maneuvers, so hang on! -_ she shouted, with the adrenaline flowing through her body quickly. She had been in some very extreme persecutions and flights, but never before had an anti-personnel rocket this close behind. Made a move up in altitude and down suddenly. The rocket failed to alter its trajectory in time and passed by. But it was too early to declare victory:

_- More rockets! -_ Chellick cried from behind.

The Asian looked through the car's rear view camera. Three more fireballs rushed toward them. A gunshot from Anderson destroyed one, and caused a disturbance near them. Kasumi struggled to control the transport and gave a twist to the controls that did them make a violent turn in the barrel. She lowered altitude and made an arc around a high building, while a few policemen and civilians watched the show. A new bow and a sudden braking maneuver and the second rocket left them behind, following its trajectory. Made another barrel and the third rocket crashed into the side of a building. Civilian casualties from the incident were increased.

She could see the security turrets of the Presidium ring. "GARDIAN Batteriesonly activate in case of a hostile incursion into the space station" she thought, watching the gadgets come alive and being redirected to a point behind them:

_- I don´t know what´s going on, but we better go down in altitude or we will be forced very soon! -_ she shouted making her three passengers turn to see her. The sight of the huge cannons starting mechanisms made them realize the seriousness of the matter.

Kasumi saw one last rocket fired towards them, but suddenly it exploded in mid-flight. She also saw one of the flying cars break formation immediately, the pilot's face marked by fear.

Captain Anderson turned to look back, just to where their pursuers were. Those, seeing the defensive machines starting sequences stopped pursuing. They broke formation and headed to the Wards, to get lost in traffic. But what came after them took him completely by surprise. A ship the size of the Normandy, maneuvered to get alongside them. Through the glass booth they could see the pilot, a middle-aged man wearing a helmet as he had never seen. Beckoned them to move away soon, before being drawn away by laser fire from the GARDIAN systems.

Kasumi lowered her altitude, to check that they were in the nearings of the Presidium. Afterwards they landed as softly as she could (considering that the transport devices were not fully operational due to the rocket explosion near them), in the pond near the Tower of the Council.

Everyone left the car and, as they approached the shore with difficulty, watched the pilot make a series of maneuvers with the ship, that made the pilots of the Citadel Fleet look like amateurs. He didn´t make false trajectories or movements. His moves were precise, as the captain had only seen Joker, the current helmsman of his former frigate, do. Gasped when one of the defensive lasers touched the craft, but the veteran didn´t lose control. A shot of the weapons of his vehicle and the turret that had bothered him was destroyed. A group of missiles later, the rest of them also were nullified.

When he finished the acrobatics, some people approached the tower, no doubt attracted by the expertise of such a flyer. The strange craft, which Jenny referred to as an Horizon drop ship, landed in front of the entrance, startling the C-Sec personal that guarded the place, and making them come out, guns drawn. Translucent fear on the faces of the officers:

_- This is Citadel Security. Drop your weapons and surrender! - _no doubt a ridiculous order, when facing an airship.

Anderson and his group (without Kasumi, who seemed to have vanished again), approached the place, while the police tried to evict the crowd. The back door opened and a ramp came down. From it came a group of five soldiers in Cyclone armor, causing reactions of wonder and surprise in those present. They adopted a defensive circle and then a brown-haired woman of mature age, in a sort of wine-colored kimono with black accents, accompanied by a young Asian with similar clothes. Jenny recognized both of them without problems:

_- Cho!, Ambassador Hayes! -_

The cry attracted the attention of the woman, as well as that of C-Sec members, who quickly stepped in between them.

_- Stay where you are!, we don´t know yet if they are hostile! -_ said one official.

_- We´re not -_ said Lisa Hayes leaving behind the group of soldiers and facing the commanding officer, a man whose hand was trembling.

_- I am Ambassador Lisa Hayes-Hunter form the Robotech Expeditionary Force and I am here to speak to the Council of the Citadel. Our intentions are not hostile, but if we are attacked we will defend ourselves -_

_- Yes, they are quite capable of it ... -_ Cho said to Jenny when he joined her group.

_- I had never heard of the Expeditionary Force Robo... whatever its called!. If this is a joke of the Systems Alliance, its a very good one Anderson -_ said the first lieutenant to the Alliance military.

_- The surprise is mutual detective -_ said the captain. Like him, the rest of the crowd was stunned. The rumors were immediate. The situation seemed out of the hands of the people of C-Sec until the Turian intervened:

_- Officer, I´m First Detective Chellick from Zakera Ward. Captain Anderson and the newcomers are on official business and should not be obstructed. Locate the Chancellor Udina and please call him -_

_- But detective!... -_ said the man, questioning the authority of the Turian.

_- I'll explain everything in stride after Officer. For now do what I ask yo and tell your men to contain the crowd -_ ordered the Turian watching the faces of distrust of the soldiers who accompanied Lisa. He didn´t want to find out how deadly these weapons were.

_- Good move Chellick, but why did you do it? -_ the captain approached the detective while Lisa and Sparks spoke about something.

_- Let's say I had an epiphany... -_ the Turian didn´t turn to him, but the human realized his sideways smile.

_- Has the plant showed you something? -_

_- Yes, and I think we can learn much from them ... -_ pointed to Lisa and her group _- ...if we don´t precipitate ourselves -_

A few minutes later, the crowd that had gathered around the base of the tower was such that all of the people could swear that everyone in the Wards was climbing to the ring of the Presidium, to check the situation. Reporters from various news corporations in the galaxy were also present, with Khalisah Al-Jilani elbowing their peers to be almost in front of the ship. The few camera crews that were still functional, didn´t lose any details of the situation. Defense forces of the Citadel were on full alert, closing the main road of the Presidium and trying to disperse the crowd. Udina came down a few minutes later:

_- Anderson, we have to t... alk! -_

The surprise in the face of the old curmudgeon was genuine. Circled the ship clogging the entrance and then headed to the group, where the others were containing the anxieties of the C-Sec officers:

_- Don´t worry. Everything is under control, return to your places. The guards at the Tower of the Council will take the case from here -_

_- Anderson?, Captain Anderson! -_ the gesture of anger on his face was evident.

_- What happens chancellor? -_ the British imagined what would happen.

_- Why didn´t you tell me this? -_ he pointed to the ship.

_- I hate to say I told you... but I told you. And if you decided to ignore me, now is a good time to start listening -_ the military just smiled. He was really enjoying Udina put in such trouble.

_- I can help you reconcile. Let me introduce Ambassador Lisa Hayes-Hunter from the REF, owners of the ship, and with whom Jenny Sparks... -_ nodded to the redhead, who conferred with Cho Li _- ...made first contact -_ Udina´s jaw was almost to the ground. The military had not lied and was now paying dearly for not having listened. He decided not to be intimidated:

_- What kind of joke is this?, what colony are you from? - _he shouted turning to see the woman and shooting his most reproachful look. Lisa Hayes just smiled sardonically:

_- I´m from no colony Chancellor. And I would ask you to watch your manners, if you do not want to add a stain to your (hopefully) intact diplomatic record. If I can address the Council, we will explain our presence here, and hopefully stop this war before my husband, Admiral Hunter, truly decides to attack -_

_- What, then you hadn´t been attacking?. Do you really come from the ship? -_

Sparks and Anderson's reaction was almost immediate. The soldier pulled the chancellor, while Jenny led Lisa to the still functional lift of the tower. By the ramp of the ship came the pilot, raising the visor of his helmet and raising a low rumor from the people:

_- I'm coming with you Ambassador -_

_- Thanks Commander Sterling. You all... - _spoke to the soldiers_ - ... Take care of the ship... - _placed a hand on the transport_ - ... but don´t push too hard. Remember it is a novelty -_

The soldiers snapped immediately and distributed throughout the hull.

Before boarding, the captain glanced around one of the trees adjacent to the entrance. Thought he saw a hooded female figure in a black suit. Went over there without anyone noticing and when he was around, he saw the thief:

_- It seems that everything will turn out as you wished... -_

_- Yes, I thank you for it. And as I promised, I will keep my word -_

_- I am indebted to you sir... but let me explain something, just to avoid any other misunderstanding -_

_- No need to know, Kasumi Goto. I understand that you have your secrets, and as I said earlier: The follies that are done out of love, are often those that are more worthy... although I can´t deny that I was bothered when i found out you didn´t informed me -_

_- I agree with you Mr. Anderson, but i had to take the risk. It isn´t personal, if you know what I mean. But now I want to explain it anyway. Keiji would have approved -_

Kasumi quickly told him the role that her lover had, to infiltrate the database of the Alliance. The man frowned a moment but then his face softened and he smiled. He had a vague idea of what the deceased had found in the secret archives. And knew that it was upsetting, to say the least. But much of that research, where he and Kahlee had participated, deserved to come out. People should be aware that the Reapers were a very real and present threat. And while he didn´t like that possession of such a secret should fall in the hands of a thief, inside him knew that she would not abuse her knowledge.

_- Search the info for me Anderson. When you have it, I´ll know -_ she said, turning on her cloak of concealment as she walked away from him. Soon she was nothing else than a figure in the fog... or rather a vague memory.

The dark-skinned British returned to the entrance of the tower. As he boarded the elevator to reach the group, thought the galaxy had become a stranger place than he remembered.

* * *

In the Council Chamber, the councilors of the three political powers: Tevos for the Asari, Valern for Turians and Amoth for the Salarians, were impatient. They had received reports of foreigners who had come to The Citadel. Had seen several ships face the defense fleet and stand relatively unscathed. Had established communication with them and Matriarch Lidanya had refused to follow her orders to continue the battle. And then one of their ships had gone down to the station bringing a diplomat to the Tower of the Council.

Despite the outrage felt by Valern towards the matriarch and her attitude, as well as the fact that their defense had been breached and made them look almost helpless, the other two directors were very interested in these space travelers that had jeopardized the security of the political center of the galaxy. Moreover when it seemed that these vagrants were (or at least seemed) human, and said not to be in league with their allies in the Systems Alliance.

So, when Lisa Hayes, and Max Sterling, followed by Chancellor Udina, Jennifer Sparks and Cho Li, came before them, the aliens were shocked less by the boldness of their visitors, than by the similarity of behaviors exhibited with the other humans who were present. People who usually had business in the Tower had come to the balconies, waiting to be witnesses for something that would revolutionize life in the city. They waited while the woman diplomat began her speech...

_- Council Members, representatives of the Citadel races, people of the Citadel: I am ex-Admiral Lisa Hayes-Hunter, Ambassador of the Robotech Expeditionary Force and chief of the diplomatic corps of the United Earth Government. I stand before you unarmed and with peaceful intentions -_ Jennifer stepped toward her and activated her omnitool, giving Lisa a headset extension, hoping to avoid the stumbling wall of uncommunication they could find. Although the contraption was not calibrated for her, Lisa understood perfectly the next message:

_- We are the Council of the Citadel. The highest political body of this galaxy. My name is Tevos Aelia, and i represent the Asari Republics, to my left is the Councilor Amoth from the Salarian Union, and on my right is Councilor Valern, from the Turian Hierarchy... - _the other aliens made a solemn bow and the woman continued:

_- Ambassador Hayes-Hunter of the Robotech Expeditionary Force: The presence of your ship and forces in this place brings a lot of questions, all equally important. You are at least apparently, human. You say you come in the name of the United Earth Government, but according to the information our human allies have given us, the United Earth Government doesn´t exist. Its equivalent is the Human Systems Alliance. What little we saw of your technology, indicates a large degree of progress in some areas, but not too much in others. We have noticed that your civilization has had contact with other alien intelligences, because you are not surprised by our presence. What do you have to say about that? -_

_- Members of the Council, people of the Citadel: The purpose of this visit is to establish formal relationship with the people that conform the galactic civilization. As for my origin and influence, I don´t lie saying that I come from Earth, the third blue planet in the solar system, and that I am representative of the United Earth Government. However, as Captain Jennifer Sparks, one of the first people with whom my people had First contact, made us notice, in this reality things are different from the place where we come from – _she told her, after breathing deeply, measuring her words.

_- So you come from another reality?, another dimension, as some producers of cheap holovids say? - _Councilor Valern jumped. Councilor Tevos was about to scold him, but a sign of Lisa stopped her.

_- If the Councilor allows me to answer that... I know it sounds crazy. Our chief scientist on the ship, Dr. Emil Lang, who is a scholar and wise in such matters, has confessed he didn´t think it possible. He has spent some days to unravel the mystery of our journey, without much progress I'm afraid. But this task is enormous and beyond the limit of his strength, so that, among other reasons, we are forced to seek help. If we add that our ship is operating at less than fifty percent of its real capacity, I am afraid that our position is compromised - _

Upon hearing this last comment the three aliens paled. If a ship of this kind operating at half their potential could embarrass the Citadel Fleet, what would it be able to do being at its top operational capability?. The expression was not lost on Lisa, who quickly added:

_- Once again I reiterate that our intentions are peaceful and in no way the riots that our arrival had caused, are to be construed as hostile movements. Our galaxy is a war torn place enough, to come here seeking to start another confrontation. That said, in my universe an interstellar war has been going on for a long time, and my world has participated in it, sometimes in spite of our will -_

Councilor Valern came forward and faced the young woman, while Anderson and Udina frowned. They already knew about the proclivity of the Turian to be irascible and little conciliatory.

_- Ambassador: It's a nice speech you have just given. You say you come here with peaceful intentions, and yet your ship has launched an electromagnetic pulse that has seriously damaged a portion of the population living here. In addition to causing a series of injuries in these facilities and making our defense forces stand at a serious disadvantage. We will spend a large amount of time before the Citadel Fleet is operating at full capacity again. What are the arguments in your defense? -_ The Councilor made an effort to restrain himself. The anger and shame that was felt because his army had failed to defend the Council, was glimpsed on his face.

_- I can only say that we deeply regret that fact. Nothing in the information we got in our First contact could have prepared us for this eventuality. If we were obliged to discharge the energy of our ship, it was only because it was the only way to avoid perishing because of our mistakes. I understand that such neglect on our part is punishable, but please understand that if we didn´t, this conversation would not be taking place. I can not express in words how great is our regret because of that action, but I appeal to your understanding to avoid a greater mistake. As for the damage to your defense fleet, I'm afraid that we wouldn´t allow ourselves to be intimidated by an army. We have fought many times against great odds when it came to technology and numbers, and we have always stood victorious. We cherish our freedom and autonomy and we will not give it by force -_ Lisa tried to display all the sincerity she was capable of. For a moment the image of her mother, of which his father had fallen in love because of a similar feature flashed in her head. It must have been this that caused her tears and the thing that prompted the Turian to reason, because he didn´t continue his tirade but relented, pondering the meaning of the human gesture that baffled him.

_- If anything can be done to win your good will, we can compensate the relatives of the affected families. No amount of material goods or resources can be worth the lives lost, but I believe that mutual cooperation can help for a better understanding and close the wounds. If military assistance is required, the Expeditionary Force is prepared to help until your capabilities return to their former strength -_ Lisa continued. Facial expressions of the Asari were very similar to those of humans, and Lisa guessed correctly that her good will had won Councilor Tevos, although the Councilor Valern was harder to convince.

_- Ambassador Hayes ... -_ Councilor Amoth approached this time, his turn to speak had begun _- I appreciate the gesture on behalf of my colleagues in the Council. However there is a question that I think we need to clarify first. You´re technology is in some cases tens of years ahead of ours, but in other aspects is not as developed. Your appearance identify you as humans, although the question has been brought upfront , that your origin is different from that of the human of the Systems Alliance. A point on which the ambassador Udina present at this meeting, has said nothing so far -_

Udina took that as his cue to speak:

_- Councilors: I'm afraid I don´t recognize the venerable Ambassador Hayes as part of the Systems Alliance, nor their ship as part of the armies of the Alliance. If I may say: God knows that with such a war potential, the First Contact War would have been different... -_

_- How dare you... -_ the Turian seemed to dive for the jugular, but a movement of Councilor Tevos stopped him. Her gaze recommended tranquility, so the alien contained himself.

_- ...but that doesn´t solve the issue. My own network doesn´t reveal anything about an expeditionary force, and the appearance of these humans must not be considered by the Council as a move on the backs of the government of the galaxy -_

_- Which brings us to the "core issue", to use a very human expression. Ambassador Hayes: Do you have any proof that your story is true?, that you actually come from where you say you do? -_ the Salarian asked incisively.

_- Well: There are three issues Councilors. For one thing, in our reality there are no mass relays. We move through the universe by means of a folding system that allows us, through a series of folds of space and time, travel without any limitations, except making the necessary calculations to avoid jump inside a star or a black hole. In second: My attention has been called, to the genetic modifications the humans of this reality have applied to themselves. Without being excessive, they´re something we don´t share, since the domain of genetics we have, is something we've learned over the last thirty years, in our interactions with another alien race. Third: In the little information that our First contact, Ms. Sparks, has provided, there are no races similar to those we have found previously. Therefore there is no mention of a major component that has caused the wars that have plagued my reality. Captain, would you lend me the Flower of Life? -_

When Lisa turned to her, she pulled out the contents of the bag. Lisa took the glass container which had been recovered from C-Sec. The flower stirred on the alien presence.

_- This is known as the Invid Flower of Life. A plant indigenous to the planet Optera in my galaxy. It is a very powerful element of the reality where we came from. Their possession has led to war on a galactic scale, because its seeds, once treated in the right way, provide an incredible amount of energy. Its the catalyst for the evolution of a particular race, as well as an energy provider for some others -_

Lisa passed the plant to Chancellor Udina, who felt a chill when he touched the container. The man passed it to the Councilors who hold it in their hands. Tevos could feel the echoes of a more ancient life form than the Asari. Older than the specimen 37 Shepard had called the Thorian, older than any known creatures that populated the galaxy. A shiver ran through her body. Amoth took it in his hands, studying it with his keen eye and identifying its main features as he admired it. A feeling of happiness came from her, that enveloped him. When Valern received it, his mind went back to an old image of his youth, when his tutors taught him to honor the spirit of things. He was in communion with his own spirit, as he hadn´t felt in a long time. Returned it to the hands of Tevos in a flash, afraid of what he was experiencing.

_- It is a remarkable specimen of a plant that we have never actually seen. But I´m afraid ambassador, that the evidence offered is inconclusive by itself. Your mode of transportation is certainly quite unique, especially because of the advantage of not needing a mass relay to move through the galaxy. It is undeniable that you share a common origin with the humans of the Alliance, but i fear that with such similarities, DNA tests would be unreliable. And as for the Flower of Life... while its something completely different than what we had experienced before, there are still many parts of the galaxy don´t know. How can we say that we won´t find such a specimen? -_

Councilor Amoth would not budge easily. Lisa burrowed in her mind thinking about how to prove the veracity of her arguments, when Jenny's voice caught the attention of everyone.

_- There is something you can do! -_ Council eyes fell on the redhead and her companion Cho, who appeared to become small before the eyes of the aliens.

_- Captain Sparks has an idea that could work to verify the accuracy of the words of our guest -_ intervened Udina, speaking first. He hadn´t liked the situation at all, but would not allow the latecomers spoil all of his years of work.

_- What is it Captain? -_ Tevos questioned.

_- I have an Asari friend whose name is Nelyna. She told me that her people have a technique that can be used to see into the minds of the people whom they choose. She thought me how they did in order to help me cope through a terrible situation. Afterwards she verified the veracity of the story i told her. Councilor Tevos could try the same thing -_

A murmur rose in the room, but was soon silenced. Chancellor Udina´s face had turned red as a tomato. Councilor Valern turned to see the Asari, which seemed to reflect on the proposal. Amoth just waited for an answer, preferring to let the silence speak of his position.

_- Okay - _the cry immediately went on again. Lisa was not sure what Jenny had proposed, but the shock in itself, didn´t look like belonging to such a solemn a place.

_- Councilor! - _the Turian advanced to her on the platform. His face had spoken greatly from what little he liked that idea.

_- Calm down Valern. If this is the only way it can be done, I will do - _the Asari came down from the platform where the Council passed judgment, down a ramp that appeared in front of them, until she was in front of Lisa.

_- Councilor: If my partner has made an improper or unusual request, we can find other evidence -_

_- Do not worry ambassador. This is a ritual that my people don´t share with everyone, so consider yourself lucky. What I am going to do is a survey of your mind. We the Asari, merge our nervous systems with those of the individuals with whom we interact. It is a way of applying a randomness to our genetic code. The first step in this task is to look in the memories of our target. That's what I'll do -_

Lisa felt the color climb to her cheeks. But if it was the only way, she would agree.

_- You can proceed -_

_- Just relax and put your mind blank. Do not try to fight the feeling -_ The Asari stood before her, bringing her face to a distance that annoyed the woman a bit and took her by the shoulders.

_- Embrace Eternity! -_

Lisa felt like going down a tremendous void. As if her body would expand to a new consciousness which she hadn´t ever heard of. Like when the Wise men of Peryton had seen in her mind, checking in her oldest memories. The trip was soon beyond seeing genetic memories of her race, she didn´t know were there. Felt her mind expand so much that she was afraid of getting lost in the immensity of the galaxy, in the darkness that surrounded her, in the thousands of sensations that assailed her head suddenly.

Then she came to her senses, stunned. As if a switch had been turned off. Her mind was at peace again. She had gone beyond what she had dreamed of, and now it was quiet. Beside her Councilor Tevos was crouched, surrounded by the other aliens and the Chancellor of the Alliance. The Asari rose her face, helped by others. Turned to her in surprise:

_- It's true ... and the story of your past is terrible -_ she said, rising. The Council Chamber after her performance was muted.

_- More than what you may perceive. Now I guess you know a lot more of us -_ Lisa crossed her arms. From here on, it was all uncharted territory.

_- Including somethings I wouldn´t want to remember. But I can attest to your claim -_ the woman leaned against the Turian councilor and headed for the platform from which they had come. Upon arrival, she turned and beckoning her teammates, took their positions as a triumvirate again.

_- Ambassador Hayes-Hunter. Your arrival here has surprised the Citadel races. First contact is not an unfamiliar situation for us, but the circumstances of your people´s arrival were surely unintended. Under other circumstances you would not be here, but imprisoned, with your ship and goods confiscated. But it must be said, you´re not here looking to conquer or to impose a new order, but to live with the sapient beings that dwell here, looking for a way back to your reality. Therefore, it is time to reach an agreement. Councilors... -_

The alien extended her hand, confirming the request of the ambassador. Councilor Amoth extended his almost immediately. Valern more reluctantly did, but finally relented:  
_  
- The petition of the Robotech Expeditionary Force to establish relations with The Citadel has been approved. In later days you will learn of the Citadel Conventions, and the Treaty of Farixen. Once signed these documents, an official statement will be made. At this time we are ordering a cease-fire on your ship. Hopefully this is the beginning of a fruitful relationship for all parties of this new alliance -_

_- We will expect the information you must show us and prepare a dossier in turn from our perspective, to contrast our views -_ Lisa said bowing and clasping her hands.

_- Remember that you must compensate the families of those affected by the electromagnetic pulse -_ Valern was not able to contain anymore, but his suggestion was not ignored.

_- So it will be -_

_- Welcome to the galactic community! -_ said the three, ending the speech.

The shouts and cheers of the crowd which had gathered in the Council Chambers were strident. Max and Lisa received formal congratulations from Chancellor Udina, who looked a bit annoyed. Lisa watched him carefully and decided that she would need to observe her colleague closely. Sparks and Cho also came to congratulate them. They still had to solve the matter of C-Sec, but having the detective Chellick as an ally, things were bound to be easier...

* * *

Kasumi Goto managed to evade the security at the storage complex where the Alliance had the body of her loved one in custody. It hadn´t been easy, but after what happened last week it wasn´t too challenging either. When she arrived at the morgue where they stored the bodies, discovered she was not too late yet. Keiji's body was where the report provided by Captain Anderson had said he would.

The thief disabled the freeze controllers and took the bag out of the ice storage container, carrying it on a floating plate to the autopsy table. The shift change wouldn´t take place until ten minutes later, thanks to some modifications in the electronic schedules, so she had a little time. Opened the fiberplastic bag containing the remains of her beloved and a twinge of pain crossed her face. Tears were not good as incriminating evidence, so she allowed herself to miss some of them, by watching the body now frozen, from that being that comforted her before, with its warmth like a sun.

Stood that way for a few seconds, and then she pulled herself together. Returned the body to his place and taking the autopsy table, reviewed the possessions of the deceased. A few more steps and she was looking in the storage drawer. The report said Keiji´s gray box should be stored with his other belongings. But the space was empty. Despair gripped her. Looked in other drawers, no matter if she made a noise or someone saw her. Opened all the drawers, looking in every store, verified in the surveillance videos and finally found what had happened. A man (who later she identified as one of Donovan Hock´s contacts) had gone ahead, and the vital evidence had been removed, right under the noses of everyone.

Stored Keiji´s belonging in her bag as quickly as she could, leaving the rest as she found it before and removed any possible evidence. In the end, if she wasn´t a ghost, it would have mattered little. Kasumi left there with an infinite sadness eating away at her soul, and trying without much success to dispose of her insane and irrepressible desire for revenge against Hock...

* * *

At the same time that The Citadel was welcoming the REF, the Geth behind the opaque nebula known as the Perseus Veil, had detected the presence of a pair of spacecraft, unlike the vehicles of the races of the Council. A modified Saren Arterius, on board his mighty ship "Sovereign " had ordered his followers to come closer to them.

The unknown craft, a little more than a kilometer long, and whose form resembled a series of rectangular containers connected straight through their sides, as if being railway cars placed in parallel, with projections on its bodies as if thorny, had done nothing to prevent the fleet which accompanied Sovereign from approaching. Moreover, they seemed to be giving them the welcome. Once they were close, Saren himself received a message that ignored the communication systems of the Geth, directly to his head. The silent platforms waiting in the command room of the giant ship saw the avatar of their god coming close to the visual display and raise his hand, with a lust for power in his eyes...

_- This was foreseen by the Awareness... Greet the children of your God! -_

* * *

This is it.

It certainly took me a while, but it´s over. As you can see i´m incorporating all of the Mass Effect characters little by little. I´ve started with Kasumi, since she´s one of my favorites. Maybe Zaeed will appear next time ( i don´t know for sure yet). But if you want me to include characters from Mass Effect 2, just let me know and justify it (Grunt is the obvious exception since he hasn´t been born yet by the time the story is taking place or... you can be creative).

Also, can you tell what are the popular references on certain frases and people on this chapter?.

As always, reviews and comments will be greatly appreciated.

_Next: The Ark Angel ship appears at Omega Station... _

_Stay tunned!  
_


	7. Six: The Heart of Evil

_Robotech and their characters are properties of Harmony Gold USA Inc., Mass Effect and their characters are properties of Bioware. There´s no economic remuneration gained from this story._

* * *

Si deseas leer esta misma historia en idioma español, por favor checa **"Sombras de los Segadores"**, en el mismo apartado **Crossovers:Robotech-Mass Effect.**

* * *

So... after almost month and a half I´m here we are with the next chapter.

Life is an untimely occurrence. It turns out it was forcing me to give up on this story (however, events that i never considered or imagined even, conspired to keep me writing, for which I´m pleased to say the least). Most of you probably considered this story was dead, his author gone by a month and half. Between my work, my life, losing may hard disk drive and Fallout 3 by nights (which is marvel i must say), everything ended... here.

Instead of reading my whinings, let´s go to the many thanks that have stockpiled since last time: From Shadowcub to Kingdark, going through Sajuuk, Grave Wolf, Super-Saiyan-3-Vegeta and ApocSM. Let´s not forget either Cursed-Mazrim, DHB-Spike, serval2, Knightwolf1875, and life-good-hp. You have either "favored" or "alerted" this story so you deserve BIG TANKS (erm... no, i mean THANKS, let´s try an not angry some people around here!)

To Shadow Cub: Yeah, the Council are idiots (but it turns out the human Council are idiots as well so i wouldn´t worry too much about it) as for the SDF-3... even with half their capabilities they can kick ass out of the Mass Effect ships so i wouldn´t worry about that either. And as for technology... well... when this technology is the edge that makes your people distinct from others, you don´t give up on it easily, especially since you are stranded in a hostile universe with little if no means of going back to yours. Space trade is a must in most stories, but only in the right circumstances.

To Super-Saiyan-3-Vegeta : I´m really glad you are liking this story. I would like to update it faster, but... ah!, Life is the main boss and if your boss says you got something more urgent to do... well there´s no arguing there. Hopefully now that the dust has settled, i´ll have more time to update frequently.

And to Angelus288: Yes, Udina being called a Chancellor is a slip on my part, based on the titles we Latin American people give to our own ambassadors. One that hopefully won´t be repeating soon.

Okay, enough rambling. Let´s go with the show...

* * *

_**Chapter Six:**_

_**The Heart of Evil.**_

_System Hoc_

_Sentry Omega Cluster, Attican Traverse,_

_Farthest reach of the Centaur Galactic Arm._

Captain Vince Grant left the bridge, while reviewing a series of reports of the long range scanners. Despite having little more than a week of having arrived in this universe, he had decided not to progress too quickly in its exploration. This unusual galaxy, while similar but at the same time different from what they knew, was not a war zone as he had thought first. But finding a quiet area, didn´t mean the rest of it would be the same way.

He went down the elevators leading to the medical deck of the ship and after a while, decided on walking a little more, rather than taking a shuttle to the Physical Testing Laboratories. He needed the exercise, needed it to divert his thoughts from the various things that had happened in recent days. As he walked through the mostly solitary halls, his mind focused on the fact that, while they followed the SDF-3 to this new universe without the possibility of returning home, that was something that could somehow be reversed.

His ship, the SDCF-1 "Ark Angel", was redesigned urgently, from a colony ship of autonomous capabilities, to a highly potent battle fortress, prepared to fight in equal terms if necessary, against numerically superior forces. Besides having almost double the size and up to fifty percent more cargo capacity, compared with other ships of the fleet, the "Ark Angel" could develop an autonomy behind enemy lines, only comparable to that of the flagship of the Expeditionary Force. It had been equipped with the old Reflex cannons and systems of the previous capital ships, preventing a meeting with Haydonites, which were not too far. They also had available manufacturing materials, factories, a well equipped Medical Deck (which was the delight of his wife), ample space for barracks and hangars for a full Air Group. All of it authorized by General Reinhardt, for a mission that no one knew if it could be achieved in short time.

That accumulation of resources might seem too risky an investment, but it was very little if considered that, on the failure of its mission, this Task Force wouldn´t be enough to deter its enemies. They were tasked to find and bring Rick Hunter and the protoculture matrix to the allied forces stationed in ALuCE base on the dark side of the moon. Without it, the ability to repel the next attack of their new enemies, reduced itself to zero. He didn´t want to even think what would happen to Earth if they were defeated by the Haydonites.

He wandered a bit more, pondering their possibilities. He remembered the time when they returned to the Omicron sector, looking for clues of the missing group. His Chief Scientist, Louis Nichols, had suggested that they began there, taking into account a characteristic of black holes, as the one where the SDF-3 was precipitated by a failed rescue attempt. The young scientist had explained, in that tone of wiseacre like him, how the massive gravitational perturbation of the singularity could delay the passage of time in the perspective of those who remain trapped in its field.

He made a second effort of memory, which began to be difficult these days:

After reappearing again in the Omicron sector they quickly found the space-time breach and the SDF-3. But a few minutes after getting visual confirmation, the ship disappeared, enveloped in a folding bubble. He could understand the decision of attempting such a maneuver as risky as it was in those circumstances, but it reduced their chances of finding them. They could literally be anywhere. None of them had expected to be able to get clues on where the ship had been launched. Aided by the android Janice, Louis was able to identify radiation levels in some particles floating on the edge of the singularity.

Hours later, members of the Security Council met in the War Room, for the youth to give his explanation. Present were Scott Bernard and Maya Sterling, Robotech Master Cabell and his assistant Rem who had been brought from Tirol on an emergency shuttle, Major James Galbraith (who led the contingent of marines), the Invid princess Ariel and the Karbarran soldier Arsea, who had received permission from the Sentinels to join the expedition, along with a group of soldiers of different races. If Vince had decided to bring a more varied group, no one could have chosen better.

Louis continued his tirade. The amount of technical knowledge that they held together didn´t amount to half of what the scientist had used to describe such a mess. No one was sure if he had done it on purpose or not, but he didn´t give rise to interruptions until Vince stopped him cold:

- All of this sounds very technical Nichols, but what does it mean in practical terms? -

asked the robust captain while watching the faces of skepticism from his peers.

_- What it means is, that if you compare what we know about the mechanism of folding, based on super-string theory and wormholes, and add this unusual material, whose effects are unknown when undergoing similar levels of radiation, what could be generated is... __I don´t know ... __-_ The disgust on the faces of those gathered was present.

_- What Dr. Nichols tries to explain is that the energy released during a folding maneuver reacts in unusual ways with this matter -_Janice Em interrupted. Her relationship with Vince Grant, rough and suspicious at first, had improved since the enemy attack, and she was now appreciated as a valuable element of the staff as well as an ace up his sleeve. When she acknowledged no one had tried to stop her, she continued:

_- In conjunction, both define space and time in a unique way. __We don´t know for sure what is that they do, but all the calculations we have done with our supercomputers and my processing systems, suggest that the topology of the universe is distorted in a weird way. The wormhole that forms in a folding with those items present, could lead to a different place. Perhaps to another dimension -_ the Security Council´s eyebrows rose immediately. Robotech forces were in some ways used to deal with problems that people of Earth even dreamed of, but everything had its limits and the scientific panel was exceeding them at top speed:

_- Another dimension?, is that possible? -_asked Jean Grant, who was next to Vince, excited. The black man only grimaced in disgust. No doubt it wasn´t a very pleasant prospect to know that those you were looking for were elsewhere, where you were most likely not able to follow.

_- In theory it is, but the implications are disturbing. If we consider that the multiverse is an infinite space, there is no way to know if we can get where the SDF-3 is, which in itself represents a highly intellectual... ehrm... interesting challenge -_Cabell stepped in with enthusiasm, but also with concern. The faces of surprise and regret in all present were a clear indicator of where the success of the mission was going.

_- We need to try something anyway. If the Children of the Shadow realize that we can´t recover the protoculture matrix, your world will perish with inexorable certainty, as happened to mine -_ The urgent voice of Ariel had all looked up to her. The animosity that was still felt in certain strata about the Invid was present, and it was easy to forget that she was the one who had sounded the alarm against the Haydonites.

_- With all due respect, Princess Ariel, but circumstances say the ship is lost in another dimension. Military protocol requires to report this to General Reinhardt and wait for a decision of High Command. There are too many resources under too great a risk ... -_Major Galbraith said. He didn´t want to sound pessimistic, but it was not an easy decision. Upon seeing him, Vince recalled the late Capt. Gloval and said to himself that now that it was his turn, he didn´t envy being in his shoes.

_- I understand the implications of it. Many times I saw the Regess abandon herself to solitary reflexions, pondering the future of my race. However we are underestimating us. If we pool our collective experiences, I can say with certainty that we have seen amazing things. I'm not saying we can´t find something that we don´t understand, but my opinion is that we are ready for them. Besides your Admiral Hunter and the others are in the same situation. Without them, this war is not winnable. And we can be certain they´re not in the Haydonites clutches, cause otherwise they would´ve already attacked. They aren´t lost in this galaxy, because with the amount of resources and talent at their disposal, they would´ve already found a way to return. We have to follow. Also, I had what you humans call "a premonition"... -_

_- A premonition! -_ the ursine Arsea scoffed _- Princess: Do you understand that you´re asking to risk a considerable Robotech force for a "hunch"? -_

Ariel ignored how offensive that question was, especially in light of the facts of the attack to Liberty Station, but Scott was about to rise from his seat and strangle the alien. One sign of Maya Sterling however, stopped him.

_- I understand that this must be difficult for you. More so coming from me, a member of the race that enslaved your people for so long. But believe me when I say that we can find the ship -_she said, lowering his voice. The situation seemed to be headed toward a confrontation and no human was sure what would happen if the aliens decided to move from dialogue to action. All eyes were hesitant. Only Scott didn´t call into question what his companion said. But Vince's voice rose above the murmur that had invaded the room

_- I believe you -_ everyone's faces turned to the captain of the ship _- When the Haydonite __attack on Liberty, it was a premonition what saved the few ships and personnel of the Fleet we could evacuate from the space station. Princess Ariel: If you say that these psychic flashes can lead us to find the Admiral, I will support you -_

What followed was a shock to everyone: Staff and Commanders. And all this was crowned with what certainly seemed like a leap of faith. Upon entering the field of the singularity and making a fold, no one was sure where they would go.

The answer was: Virmire.

A few hours after arriving, Ariel and Scott brought Lieutenant Alenko and the rest happened quickly.

Vince came back to reality when found himself the front door of the testing laboratory. In the general ward there were several scientists and some military, among which was Lieutenant Marcus Rush:

_- Officer on deck! -_he screamed when Grant entered the room. The soldiers snapped to salute and scientists raised their eyes towards him. The captain quickly returned the greeting:

_- At ease gentlemen. I'm just looking for my wife -_

_- Lieutenant Commander Grant is in the Physical Area sir. Decided it was time to do some tests to our guest. Chief Scientist Nichols and Janice Em are with her -_Marcus was quick to answer.

_- Excellent Lieutenant. Can I have a word with you? -_the officer asked while the others resumed their activities. The young officer nodded without saying a thing and followed his superior.

On the way to the room, Vincent said:

_- How is the integration with the aliens in the crew going Lieutenant? -_the grimace of anger was present for a second in Rush's face, quickly replaced by a neutral expression, which didn´t betray his discomfort.

_- To be honest sir, I´m still having trouble. There are many people (including myself) who can´t accept the fact that an Invid is cooperating with us. Your wife and others have gently reminded us however, that she´s on our side. Besides the attitude of Captain Sterling has been very helpful -_said the pilot as they walked. Vince knew that integration was not going to be easy, but they were to try, for the sake of the mission.

_- I understand. Just remember that it is crucial to build trust among our different peoples -_said the captain, with instructive voice. Marcus looked away, trying to hide a multitude of emotions.

_- But the war ended, sir. Diplomacy could handle this in a better and more effective way __-_he tried to justify without much encouragement. Within him, he knew that his position wasn´t the best, but to forgive the Invid for what they did to her sister Marlene, required an inner peace that he didn´t have at the time.

_- Oh, don´t be naive Rush! -_Grant added, turning to look at him:

_- There will always be the need to understand those around us. That includes both our enemies and our own friends. It is crucial if we are to avoid another war like the ones we faced (although the Haydonites seem to care very little) -_he stopped and smiled mischievously:

_- Besides... I think it concerns you more than any of us -_

_- Sir?... -_ Marcus also stopped, raising his hand to the head to feign surprise.

_- Come on. Do you think I ignore the way you stare at Captain Sterling?. I used to stare the same way to my wife - _Vincent Grant started walking again, leaving the officer behind. Marcus felt a blush rising to his cheeks. It seemed the captain was devoted to making him feel sorry for the day.

_- Relax son. The truth is you would make a nice couple. Unique in some respects - _the mature man turned, but he could guess the look of confusion of the pilot behind him.

_- I'm not comfortable with such a conversation Sir - _was the answer that came from behind.

_- Okay - _turned to him and lifted the index, with a small emphasis_ - But let me tell you something. You wouldn´t be neither the first nor the last to share your life with an alien -_

The chestnut forced a little little smile:

_- I understand sir. There are many documented cases on the Expeditionary Force about marriages between people of different races, but... -_ the shadow of a doubt crossed his face.

_- You can tell me what worries you Lt... you earned that privilege when you saved Maya a few weeks ago - _said the captain, leaving aside the military formality.

_- I am aware of what it means sir. It is going to be difficult for commanders to accept it, especially by the restrictions of rank. But I am more worried that it might distract me from fulfilling this mission. We can´t afford that. The chances of having a "normal life" ... - _stopped to mimick "quotes" on the air_ - ...can only be met if we find the Admiral and win this war. And since we got here to this... new reality... I no longer know what to think - _

_- I agree Lieutenant. You´re not the only who can´t sleep at night thinking about it. But the admiral is alive. It's just a hunch (like that of Ariel) that in some circles of the military would´ve won me court martial. But I have known Rick Hunter since the war with the Zentraedi. And I know that miserable has an enviable fate. We'll find him and protoculture matrix. I can assure you that much -_

_- I wish I shared your optimism captain -_Marcus said, letting his expression reveal the doubts that gripped him. He stopped at the door of the lab and leaned on the lintel. Vince decided not to press him anymore and patted him on the shoulder, then made a sign indicating that it would be all.

While the boy was leaving, the captain entered the Physical tests area. A panoramic look made him aware of the situation. Opposite, with their backs turned to him, were his wife and Louis Nichols, each intensely focused on registering the situation that happened in front of them. Janice was connected to the main computer, analyzing their own data. She had decided to change her external appearance again, getting to be that young, purple-haired-and-sweet-featured girl, most of the Expeditionary Force knew as the companion of Minmay. The change in appearance was because it was easily confused with the Invid princess, who was physically similar. It wasn´t convenient or healthy, walking through the corridors of the ship with such resemblance.

On the other side of the glass, the situation was particularly interesting:

Kaidan Alenko was using that particular skill he had mentioned before. "Biotics" he called it, and at that time he used it to stack several boxes of various materials. His body was engulfed in an intense effort, outlined by the light blue aura that his wife had shown him earlier.

_- I think that's all Lieutenant. We already have enough data -_Dr. Grant ordered as she watched the preliminary results of the new research. Alenko meanwhile carefully deposited the boxes on the floor, while the scientists collated data.

_- Very interesting!. The concentration of dark energy changes the polarity of the magnetic fields of the objects that are subject to it. Plus ... -_Nichols mentioned hastily comparing several data tables. Every bit of his shyness and lack of social intercourse was perfectly offset by his genius.

_- The magnetic field doesn´t change polarity Dr. Nichols, but the dark energy turns positive to negative mass ... -_corrected Janice, who also realized Vince's presence.

_- Janice, you're such a spoilsport, eh?... Captain! -_said the scientist flipping back and saluting the visitor.

_- Why, hello Vince. What brings you here? -_asked the woman, waving in a more casual way. Jean didn´t forget that despite being the senior officer of the ship, Vincent Grant was first and foremost her partner...

_- I came to talk with Lieutenant Alenko... and to say hi -_ said the stout man waving the printouts that he brought. Despite the convenience of digital reports, he was one of those who still liked to feel the texture of the paper in his hands.

_- Well as you can see we just finished our tests, so it's all yours if you need him -_the doctor said as she turned to make some adjustments to the computer she was working on. She knew what was to follow and didn´t like it at all...

_- I'd like to do some other tests to measure his powers ... -_added Louis but a slight nudge from the woman and a look of reproach of Janice made him reconsider:

_- ...but it can wait! -_

_- Okay -_said the captain, as he approached the chair and prepared for the interview.

A few minutes later and while Janice and Louis discussed a few things and made some measurements of the physical tests area, Grant faced with Alenko:

_- How are you Lieutenant? -_gestured to sit in another chair across from him on the bench.

_- Good Captain. Although I can not say that hospitality has improved since we last met -_said the soldier with a hint of venom in his voice. He couldn´t blame him. The situations that had transpired since he recovered, were not very pleasant to say the least. Behind him, Jean gave a slight jerk that didn´t go unnoticed for the two men in the room, as well as the others that were on the other side of the glass.

_- I understand how you feel Lieutenant. And I deeply regret that things have not happened in accordance to everyone's wishes, but you must understand our position –_ It wasn´t a lie, nor a phrase spoken by commitment. Had things been otherwise, there would have been no need to isolate him in a cell for a couple of days. He decided not to get distracted, as it was imperative to secure the cooperation of man, despite how stubborn he had proved to be.

_- Me too. And I think if I were in your position, I would´ve done the same. But I really don´t like to stay locked up as a prisoner - _the young man tried to keep resentment at bay. Shepard had left him for dead in Virmire (who would have considered anything else?). However, although The Alliance considered him KIA, loyalty was a difficult thing to ignore.

_- You are not our prisoner. And if you take it like that, at least be honest: To be considered on that condition, you have been treated like royalty -_ Vince countered, carefully controlling his temper.

_- And I thank you, it´s just that i don´t want to remain here. My people need me -_ insisted the young man. He really wanted to see the face of Shepard and the Normandy crew, seeing him appear at the door.

_- Undoubtedly. But I think in this situation you would be helping more to your government, if you cooperate with us in the way we request -_ the captain was beginning to feel uncomfortable with the attitude of Alenko.

_- And I've repeated a thousand times the information you want from me, I have not or is classified. You assure me that such data will not be used for military purposes, but I can´t take such a risk ... - _He was not about to budge. Who knew what these aliens were capable of!, and if their technology was any indication, they could put in serious trouble, not only the Alliance but to all races of the Council. It was that a burden that he was not willing to carry on his back...

_- Here we go again ... - _Vince was about to lose patience.

_- It's not my fault ... - _Began the youth, but a resounding blow to a table behind him made him stop.

_- Enough! -_

Jean Grant's voice rose an octave higher than usual. She had seen the same argument repeated ad nauseam during the past week and it had become downright annoying, if not futile;  
_  
- Men!, Will you ever learn to behave as adults? - _

Silence was made in the room. Janice's gaze through the glass hadn´t changed in the slightest, but guarded and analyzed a recording of what was happening jealously. Louis was baffled and was only able to accommodate his work lenses in a nervous attitude, which revealed how uncomfortable he felt. In spite of the faces of surprise and irritation of Kaidan and Vince, she continued:

_- I think you both need to remember where we stand now. Vince: the Lieutenant acted the way it did because we cornered him. His reaction was that of a soldier trapped inside an enemy installation. We had no right to treat him so, after what he went through. Damn, I would insubordinate myself as well! -_Ended up beating her husband in the shoulder and then turned to the soldier of the Alliance:

_- Honey, can you ...? -_

_- I'm not done yet!. Lieutenant Alenko: I respect your right to disagree with our point of view, to not fully trust what we tell you and to preserve your allegiance to your government. But I will remind you that I saved your life, when your superior decided to sacrifice you. I don´t blame him, nor is my intention to tarnish his name because of it. This isn´t a test of devotion. What I can tell you is that we follow our own superior over here, because we need him, him and the resources of his ship, to save the humanity from our dimension. We know that our target is here, and you know this reality far better than us. And I WILL rub it on your face again: If it weren´t for us, you wouldn´t be anything more than a handful of radioactive ashes scattered to the wind on that beautiful planet we left behind. I assure you that our interest on time is to establish cordial relations with your people and authorities, so why don´t you stop acting like an idiot and show a minimum of gratitude? -_

The woman's face had turned red from the effort. Nobody said anything immediately. It was so weird to see Dr. Grant out of her wits, that after such a spectacle, all of them were stunned. Kaidan however, broke the silence minutes later, trying not to laugh it out as best he could:

_- What a wife you have!, i don´t envy you -_told Vince, who coudn´t still get out of his astonishment. The black man's face relaxed when he saw the laughter of Kaidan:

_- You're right, ma'am. And I regret behaving like a "complete idiot." We started badly. First Contact situations have never been my forte. I can and must cooperate with you, if __only out of gratitude. But I have some conditions -_

_- Mention them -_ Vince ordered, taking control of the situation.

_- Officially, the Alliance is going to do me a funeral, but I'm still a soldier. And this is a situation of First Contact, so I want to be considered a Liaison Officer rather than just a resource and, hopefully, be treated that way. At least until I can report back to my embassy. I will also remind you that Earth still is my primary loyalty and that I will not do anything that may endanger it -_

_- We all agree on that Lieutenant - _Jean interjected.

_- If we are to cooperate, I need to know more about you. And I mean not only your history. Your ship is full of technology that seems familiar in some respects, but there's another that i haven´t sunk in yet -_

_- Fair enough, but there must be reciprocity. Somethings are confidential and none of us can mention them, but if you insist on playing the game of secrets, that's fine by me. You tell me one, I'll tell you another. Your contact will be Ms. Em. She is authorized to cooperate with you in whatever manner you request. Also I think you already know each other -_

Vince pointed to the lilac-haired girl behind the glass, who watched the scene without losing detail. Alenko only made a gesture of disgust. He had encountered Janice during his failed escape, and it didn´t end well. He was unable to imagine how could such a fragile girl have so much strength.

The young soldier's face softened. Only Jean Grant was still shaken by the effort. Vince called his attention to the report that was on his hands:

_- We can start on the right foot lieutenant. We found a series of signals and energy issues we could track to a sector of the galaxy that is uninhabited in our dimension - _said with the utmost seriousness._  
_

_- In what coordinates? -_

_- What we call the Epsilon sector. If this doesn´t ring any bells, maybe the name of the Omega Nebula will tell you a little more -_ the soldier made an expression of regret at the man, that vanished as fleetingly as it appeared.

Kaidan thought for a moment before answering:

_- What your long-range sensors found, is the Omega space station. An old mining center that became a haven for bandits and smugglers. It is within what the Council races know as the Terminus Systems -_said trying to hide his grief.

_- And why the change of face?, does the political relationship with these systems Terminus is not good? -_questioned the captain. One thing was an isolated gesture, and quite another to make a face of concern at every mention of that place.

_- Yes. Omega is full (among other things) of races that don´t follow the orders of the Council of the Citadel, for various reasons. It's a jungle in space -_

_- It´s governed by the law of the strongest. Why is it that the old western movies come to mind? -_Jean did a sneer. She had worked and visited seedy places before meeting Vince, and frankly she didn´t like the idea of having to get back into a den of those.

_- Your feelings are shared Mrs. Grant. There are many bands of mercenaries and thugs in Omega, which are engaged in unpleasant activities, let alone legal ones. Slavers, smugglers, mercenaries and murderers for hire. Think of a risky and forbidden occupation and most likely Omega has one of those -_Kaidan said showing his low regard for the place. He had a past with the station and he was not keen on remembering it now.

_- Quite the place to visit. And surely it is a battle every day at every hour -_Vince commented in a tone of sarcasm.

_- In some fashion captain. There are many groups out there vying for power locally, but one of them dominates the season: The group of Aria - _

_- Aria? -_Both Grant asked in unison.

_- Aria T'Lok. Factual ruler of Omega. She __prefers not to engage that much in the activities of certain bands, but she remains a balance among them. __If a leader gets too big in power and ambition, she has him disappear. If a band is causing too many problems for businesses, she crushes it. Reigns with an iron fist, and her men are very well positioned, trained and armed, for a single band to tray and take them -_Kaidan continued. In his mind began to form an idea. Having this task force facing the worst trash on the galaxy was a good way to measure its abilities.

_- A "spider queen" -_Jean said, knowing full well the kind of people who used to be on top of criminal organizations. Her own experience, lived in countries in disgrace after the War of Unification of Earth, had taught him many things...

_- Yes, and the hive that is her kingdom, is probably the place with the worst reputation over the galaxy. However, it is also a hotbed of resources. All of the things the different races produce, can be found there -_ended the soldier of the Alliance.

_- Sounds like a good place to start our search. These places usually have people dedicated to gather information. We may also find charts which we can use to compare with those of our systems. I think it's worth a look -_said Jean, despite not having good memories of those locations, she had learned to find her way on them without attracting much attention.

_- Then we'll head to the Omega Nebula. How much until you´re ready to return to action Lieutenant? -_Vince asked, with a gesture of malice that didn´t go unnoticed by the others.

_- I need some rest, maybe a couple of hours. But we will not reach the Omega Nebula in less than six hours at least. Why? -_

_- Take breakfast and a light nap Lieutenant Alenko -_ interrupted the captain _- I'll see you __in three hours on the bridge. You wanted to know about our technology, so I will give you the opportunity to witness it firsthand. Also i´m not sure what a mass relay is, but where we come from, we don´t need any of that stuff to travel across the galaxy -_

Kaidan saw Captain Grant leaving his seat, bewildered by the strangeness of the situation and thinking restlessly, about what he meant when he said that they didn´t need any mass relays...

* * *

_Omega Space Station, Sahrabarik System,_

_Omega Nebula, Terminus Systems,_

_Norma Galactic Arm_

Zaeed Massani penetrated the abandoned office building in darkness, rifle in hand. He was ready to shoot at the slightest sign of attack, but hoped not having to do it soon. His target, a very treacherous elcor merchant, who had decided to play a trick on one of its customers, wouldn´t be waiting for the infamous Zaeed to walk through the front door, especially when it was ridden with guards, droids and several devices planted there to try and stop him. In its delirium the creature believed it could dictate terms on how he would expect him, and intentionally left open a clear path by which a saner person would try and enter the site.

Not him ... not Zaeed anyway... he has never been noted for his sanity.

A tow he carried the story of hundreds, if not thousands of successful contracts. If one has enough money to pay for his services, Massani was the best mercenary money could buy. More than twenty years of being at the forefront of business did guarantee success, but also made him a highly valued professional.

Money however was not a problem for certain sectors of the privileged society of Illium. Sectors that didn´t want more than the best of the best for his tasks. Unfair competition had to be chased away, there were merchants to ruin and operations to sabotage... All in the name of free trade.

And some of those orders required people who didn´t ask too many questions, that were ready to fulfill the requirements of the mission, and had no qualms about breaking every bone in their bodies a million times, if the solution of the problem so demanded.

That brought us back to old coot Zaeed... and his beloved assault rifle "Jessie." This relic, if he is to be believed, had seen a large number of combat missions of various kinds. A good M-8 Avenger assault rifle, of the kind that are built to last. Circumstances had led him to retire it, but the mercenary had always been a little superstitious. And the circumstances of that particular mission (acquired one day before the twenty-first anniversary of his "feud" with Vido Santiago) were presented in such a way that he couldn´t less than suspect that his fate was being used up until its last penny, before it was depleted.

He entered the room and spotted a batarian and two turians posted in the lobby of the place. The light blue glow of their uniforms spoke their kinetic shields were engaged and operational. Behind them came a site with what looked like a heavy defense turret and three standard Hahne-Kedar security droids. And behind all this, was an elevator to connect the defenders on the ground floor with others who may be on the upper levels.

Damned if he was going to miss all that fun...

He couldn´t run straight to the bottom of the building or the turret would put any amount of bullets through his body, shredding him to pieces as soon he entered its attack range. Although the idea of adding more scars to his body, with which show off to the bar girl in turn, wasn´t unpleasant in itself, he was not willing to undergo a new major reconstructive surgery, so he scraped the idea.

Nor could slip between them, as the little furniture didn´t allow it. But there were several columns that would hold a lot of shots in their structure, and the electrical system wasn´t working at peak efficiency. Furthermore, both walls and ceiling were not as strong as in the surrounding buildings, which was a common feature in some dwellings of low stance in the most destitute neighborhoods of Omega. One or two well placed shots and things wouldn´t be as uneven. Measured his time and prepared his rifle, checking the ammo loaded. Pressed the switch that activated the disruption ammo property of his weapon.

He told himself that making things blow was like missing most of the fun of them, like breaking a toy when you had not had it anymore than five minutes. But the mercenary thought the occasion called for one of those incendiary approaches he always carried just in case. Took a couple of grenades from the bag he was carrying and slipped into the darkness, to be near one of the pillars, the closest approximation he could do without being seen by the group of soldiers. Mentally counted to three and threw the grenades rolling into the area where the aliens were smoking a cigarette.

As a child, Zaeed liked fireworks. Especially when one of the few traveling shows that, when he was a children, were already "in-danger-of-extinction" events were presented in his neighborhood, he used to enjoy it a lot. In his youth, dreamed of engaging in the development of such explosive devices that lit the sky with colorful shades and enrapture the audience in fleeting dreams. Of course, in many cases life is not even remotely similar to what one would expect. Zaeed´s was no exception. The war, hatred and adrenalin became a part of his life, one it took some time to accept, then embrace to, at last consider something natural. The child became a dreamer, later an adventurer, only to end just as a cynic old man. But the illusion of childhood hadn´t entirely disappeared, and his military life taught him that he could still conjure the fireworks of his youth, especially when incendiary grenades that he himself had learned to manufacture, exploded on the kinetic shields of their enemies, triggering a series of multicolored reactions much resembling the shows of yesteryear.

The old drew a half smile and came out of hiding, launching a concussive shot that went past through the first group, that shook and struggled trying to remove their charred armors, and landed on the security droids, throwing them all into disarray and disabling one of them. The turret reacted, the Virtual Intelligence enabled on it starting to move its trigger mechanisms. Zaeed took refuge behind a pillar and fell on his back to present the minimum possible target, several shots bouncing off in his own blue kinetic shield. While doing that, he fired into the ceiling just above the gun site. A pair of long bursts and the roof gave way, pieces of metal and masonry crushing the androids and obstructing the view of the turret. The batarian guard, the only one who had managed to remove his armor in time, hastened to seek cover, but some shots penetrated his head and brought him down like a limp doll.

Massani got up and taking advantage of the obstruction of the turret, ran encircling it, opening a grille at its base. A burst of the assault rifle and the system died. He had just spent thirty seconds. Walked to the elevator and pressed the up button. When the doors opened and didn't receive a stream of bullets, thought the welcome was not so funny after all.

But he still had the rest of the building to compensate…

* * *

The Afterlife Nightclub, with its multi-colored lights and giant video screens dominated most of the platform number two hundred fifty-eight, where once shipments of element zero were received and external cargo vessels were dispatched to countless systems of the galaxy. Now, that ancient and noble facility had become a den of perdition, distilled from a land where the law of the strongest was conditioned by how big and powerful were the weapons one carried. A place where every night there were long queues of people trying to escape their sordid and miserable lives, dazzled like moths attracted to light of the flame that emerges from the rather suggestive place, illuminating their lives and fulfilling them with emotions and joys, both foolish and ephemeral, consuming them as inhumane tribute to Polyphemus, whole, until only the bones and shells of the empty lives that once swarmed around it remain.

It was a place of decadence, where many aliens (asari, humans and others), contorted their young and perfect bodies over the tables and in dark corners, to the beat of loud and intoxicating music, which invited to the most sensual pleasures and delightful sins. An enclosure where one had to look with suspicion on all sides, because the next second one could be dead without knowing exactly why. A haven where a drink at the bar meant one was liable to be poisoned by a discontent batarian fanatic, sometimes discharging his spite beyond only humans. Where getting valuable information was as simple as showing that one had enough money to pay for it (and survive enough to make a profit).

That was the lair of the spider, and in the middle of it, made of this threads of corruption, desire and decadence, carefully woven around her, lit by harsh and oscillating lights, bathed in the exciting music, surrounded by well rewarded soldiers who would shoot the more daring without even blink, and brought her young prey to satisfy their hunger and desire for power and riches, was the Spider Queen.

Sheathed in leather (real nathak leather brought from the most dangerous planets, tailored by the most elite members of society to Omega), metal and fibroplastic, sitting on a balcony above the corruption of the place, admiring each time, as a dark goddess gone darker and whimsical, how life there was shaped by her mere desire, was Aria T'Lok, unconditional owner and ruler of Omega.

Her security chief, a grumpy Batarian that Aria had come to accept (but never estimate, as coming from her, such consideration indicated being only a useful pawn), came and stood three meters behind, waiting for the slender Asari to realize his presence. Closing in without permission amounted to seek death, and no one (absolutely no one!) could interrupt Aria in her moments of contemplation. Eventually the hard-looking and ambitious alien turned, noticing the presence of a shadow.

_- What is happening? -_Asked in an imperious and shocking tone. The security chief ignored such an insult. His life was more valuable than any claim of the Spider Queen...

_- Aria... people of the Lookout group detected an unusual burst of energy in the medium-range sensors, less than ten minutes ago. As if a massive fleet had come out of FTL. It appeared less than forty thousand miles of us, but the active sensors detect nothing other than strange signal, like an asteroid made of iron or some other metal... -_Said the alien, arming himself with courage.

The woman said nothing, but the brightness of her eyes adorned interest:

_- Send a spacecraft to a search in situ, I want updates every three minutes. If you encounter any hostile presence, destroy it, do you understand? -_Calmly ordered, and the guards and lieutenants threw their orders through the omnitools. The batarian was about to retire to meet his work, but Aria nodded that he remain in place. Fear appeared on his face:

_- Ten minutes!, it took you almost ten minutes to tell me?. Answer: Are you outright stupid or you don´t price your life at all? -_the Spider Queen rose from her seat. The grunt realized he had made a fatal mistake. And it was confirmed when he saw the silhouette of the alien light on, on a terrible dark blue indicating his life was about to end abruptly.

_- I... I didn´t want to bother you!, you gave specific orders not to bother you! -_Said the other feeling that his courage was not enough to overcome the grim reaper he saw in front of him.

_- Indeed that´s what i did!, But if what is out there is an attack fleet, they´re it almost over us, you idiot!. As Head of Security you should have thought about it and ignore my orders!, unfortunately, you don´t get to practice what you´ve learned today! -_She said, gesturing and raising her hand. The poor fellow before him was raised in the air as a result of the tremendous power of the asari and was thrown against the wall of the kind of amphitheater that was the nightclub, hitting it at terminal velocity and spreading his brains over the place. Several women screamed near the corpse and left terrified, but the rest of the crowd didn´t stop, eager to avoid drawing the attention of the Spider Queen. When the gruesome spectacle ended, she turned toward her subordinates and said, her voice filled with ice, but exuding an irrepressible fury:

_- Any failure to report an issue of such importance will find the same punishment... And arrange for someone to clean up that fucking mess -_

* * *

_Far rim of Sahrabarik System,_

_Omega Nebula, Terminus Systems,_

_Norma Galactic Arm_

Three hours later, with astonishment bordering on shock, Kaidan Alenko testified to what the captain had said. While looking through the holographic screen command, saw appearing on the short-range sensors, the mushroom silhouette of Omega space station in the distance.

_- No way! -_said annoyed. Fold jump was almost immediate. He wondered if the newcomers would be playing a joke on him.

_- You don´t seem very convinced Lieutenant. But I can assure you, the sensors indicate we are at a distance of... Louis? -_Vince Grant asked. He expected that reaction from his guest.

_- We are one eighth of a second-light: A little more than thirty-seven thousand kilometers -_the scientist said, adjusting his glasses. Janice was near him without involving herself in conversation.

_- How can that be?. You don´t use mass relays... -_was the bewildered response of the young man.

_- Our folding system allows us to traverse gigantic distances as long as we maintain a stable wormhole. The validation of the twenty first century theory on the topology of space tells us that ... -_Started the scientist in one of these outbursts so common to him.

_- Wormholes?, you can open stable wormholes? -_Alenko's face said he couldn´t believe what the former member of the late fifteenth ATAC squad told him.

_- Yes. Not only that, we can ... -_he would continue, but Vincent Grant was faster...

_- Louis ... -_The young redhead was contained, while Janice managed to smile, a learned gesture that made her very human-looking.

_- Sorry, Captain. In a nutshell... yes. The explanation is long, but there´s no time for it at the moment -_the look of Vince told him immediately that it was unwise to continue.

_- Time to make a bit of mutual cooperation Lieutenant. We need some star charts to compare with our own records. It would also be interesting to contact an information dealer that can give us news of the SDF-3, if any. You know the space station, but if what you say is true, is a place where you can´t go alone. What I´m asking you is to accompanying a group of our troops, as a guide and advisor. __Do you know someone in there, Mr. Alenko, who could help us? -_

_- I'm afraid so - _said the soldier reluctantly_ - He´s a guy who won´t let himself being found easily - _he added, without stopping to stare at the long-range sensors´images.  
_  
- We can make things easier for you. You will dispose of certain resources available to facilitate your work... exchange values (luckily we have some valuable and rare ores to exchange for the local currency). You wont go in alone: Janice and a group of troops will go with you - _Vince said looking over at the gynoid, who only stared back.

_- No offense captain... but bringing a large group in could be a risk. Terminus political instability makes this situation like traversing a minefield. An error and you can trigger terrible consequences -_ Alenko said.

"Time for another pearl of wisdom" thought the captain, and then decided he could loosen the tongue of the soldier a bit more:

_- What is the problem with these Terminus Systems, Lieutenant?. Your approach to them is too cautious to indicate anything good... -_

_- Terminus Systems don´t accept the resolutions of the Council and represent at least twenty percent of the known and mapped territory of the galaxy -_ Alenko sighed and continued:

_- They are divided into small states that are managed independently. By themselves these planets are not a threat, but if they got together to fight for a common cause... Almost three years ago there was an attack by a pirate fleet from Terminus, against a colony of the Alliance: Elysium -_ he paused a moment, breathing deeply:

_- The planet's defenses weren´t sufficient to repel the attack, and the pirates set out to destroy and loot. If it hadn´t been for the actions of my CO, Commander Shepard, population would have been destroyed and the Alliance reinforcements would have been unable to arrive in time to save what little remained. You see, you can´t take lightly to these people. But the Council is opposed to an open war with them -_

_- I understand ... - _Vince Grant and stood rubbing his chin with his right hand a moment and thinking carefully:

_- This requires an undercover operation. You´ll still have company, but only Janice and another soldier assigned to you -_ Vince said, without worrying too much. He expected to measure their strength against the soldiers of this universe at some point, but he wasn´t about to cause a diplomatic incident as soon as they arrived...

_- Sir... with all due respect, even though Miss Em has proven capable of defending herself, I don´t think this is a place to... -_the dark-haired man began his litany.

_- Lieutenant Alenko! -_ Heard from his back _- I think it's out of question that i can defend myself!. Also, this is the perfect opportunity to gather intelligence from this place. And no one in this ship can do better than me, so leave your macho prejudices aside! -_turned to see the lilac-haired girl with a face of surprise. Louis just suppressed a forced laugh.

Kaidan was sure that the surprises would grow from here on out.

And indeed they continued, when he was first escorted to the War Room, where he met the others that would go with him. First Lieutenant Marcus Rush would take them to the station. He would be the pilot responsible for insertion and emergency extraction, in case of an eventuality. There was also Captain Angelo Dante, of the infantry, who would be his second companion and back up if things went wrong, and the Valverde officers, a pair of twins that would remain on the ship and give tactical support.

After the introductions and the breakdown of the mission, he was escorted to the main hangar. As he walked, started to notice the tense atmosphere of a typical warship. People moving supplies and checking systems, while making routine repairs, and performing standard work procedures. In that sense the environment wasn´t different from other transports where he had been. There was electricity in the air, but the looks of surprise and even a little hostility from the people of the deck didn´t go unnoticed.

The lead vehicle to dock in Omega, was ugly as it could be. It was literally a "flying brick" (affection and derision nickname he had heard and cared to notice) painted in dark blue with bright white. Marcus called it a VE-12S " Electronic Combat Beta fighter", and he said they had rescued him in a similar ship. Alenko noticed the strength and power of the design, in spite of its unattractive line. Its total length was one-tenth the size of the Normandy. Mentally compared the stylized forms of terrestrial and turians fighters with that one, and pondered how bad taste was a feature more common than he thought.

What really amazed him, however, was seeing a robot the size of a nearly four-story building, square and bulky figure, (who was identify later as an "Excalibur" Destroid), loading a container that would have required a powerful mass effect module to be transported. Despite having seen the (amazing until then) Hahne-Kedar security robots, these systems were more impressive, not to mention that this particular was almost three times larger.

_- Wonderful isn´t it? -_Angelo Dante asked, as he approached him. He couldn´t hide that he was surprised by the size of the vehicle, but even more by the ease with which it moved. The engineers of different races (with the exception of quarians, who were recognized their natural affinity with themes of robotics and artificial intelligence) had struggled to build machineries that could move about as natural as that giant model in front of him did. These newcomers, however, had artifacts that made the war droids of the Alliance and other peoples look like mere toys.

_- No doubt Captain!. Seem taken from the fantasy holovids I used to watch on Saturday mornings as a child! -_Alenko said as he watched the machine deposit the container on a shelf almost as tall as it.

_- I understand. These older generation Destroids are certainly impressive. They served well in the war against the Zentraedi. But if you think thy´re impressive, you should see what the later models are capable of -_ the gigantic official (at least thirty centimeters larger in size than he) said, looking casually at the machine. The guy didn´t seem impressed at all...

_"Probably a consequence of the daily presence of these artifacts"_he thought. Reflected in the remarkable differences between the two universes. Although there were things and common gestures, he pondered that if his new teammates had been aliens, they couldn´t have been more puzzling. He inspected the ship again, with its load of sensors and electronic warfare systems this particular version seemed to have built in. Made a mental note about the unusual progress that those foreigners had in war technology and hoped he wasn´t committing a big mistake by helping them.

_- Are you ready to go lieutenant?. If you have ever flown in a fighter aircraft you should be okay... -_Janice said, appearing behind the two men. She came dressed in the CVR-3 armor that the groups of marines from the ship had been carrying.

_- No. I guess that training and combat deployment in a Kodiak shuttle doesn´t count as that... -_Turned to her. The woman walked past him, throwing a tube of tablets.

_- I know little of your troop deployment models, but I'm sure they don´t look anything like a Beta. Keep the tube, you may need... -_Grabbed a bag of supplies and carried it to her shoulder with ease. Kaidan immediately thought of Ashley Williams and smiled. Then he returned his gaze to the object he had in hands.

_- What?, sickness pills? -_studied the colored cylinder whose contents were large pills, apparently difficult to swallow.

_- At the end of this trip they will be your best friends... -_she added with a bit of malice and headed toward the entrance ramp of the Beta fighter, going inside. Alenko cursed lowly and thought he really was going to enjoy the cultural clash between Miss Em and the races of Omega...

Ten minutes later the vessel was closed and Marcus Rush was about to abandon the hangar.

_- This is "Skull two" requesting permission to take off -_

_- "Skull two", this bridge. Permission granted. Proceed to the area of infiltration. Good hunting! -_

Alenko felt the ship roar under his feet. Accustomed as he was to the silent operation of the Alliance ships, was disconcerted to feel the raucous roar of the turbines to raise the ship. Their systems were unlike the vehicles he knew. Tightened his seat belt and crushed himself against the seat securing with nails and teeth, a gesture not lost on his colleagues:

_- Relax Lieutenant... -_commented Lieutenant Valverde, a blond girl with short hair to strict military fashion and almond green eyes framed by dark circles, which her companions used to call Berta:

_- ...flying in a Beta is as safe as flying in one of those old planes of Earth -_she added with a friendly smile.

_- With the difference that any possible complication doesn´t leave us in an atmosphere full of oxygen, but on the cold and bare outerspace -_said her brother Miguel, also a green-eyed blond with gaunt features, in a tone of sarcasm that Kaidan deplored.

The takeoff was more graceful than he expected. But it made him recall his days of training at Charon Station. Found himself strong squeezing the tube of pills that Janice had provided. The cry of joy from Marcus Rush to the feeling of power of the ship came to confirm what he already suspected.

He was about to enter the more dangerous space station in the galaxy, in the company of a bunch of nutjobs...

* * *

Zaeed Massani had already climbed by the two lifts of the building, cleaning the next three floors of enemies, who presented a better challenge than the people at the entrance. A bullet had penetrated his shields, going in and out cleanly from his forearm. His armor had applied medigel to heal the wound, but it would leave an ugly mark. It always did. Had left behind the bodies of many guards and some assault robots. The blood of several aliens decorated the walls of the place, a stark reminder of why one didn´t interfere with the old mercenary.

Only thing left was checking the building's roof, isolated in an area where the other buildings were of very small proportions. But getting his prey wouldn´t be any easier because of him having killed all the reinforcements. The elcor were, in public perception, strong creatures with slow and clumsy movements. Aliens did nothing to dispel that belief. But having lived for so long in a high gravity planet had its advantages, and one of them was to develop a resistance and strength far higher than any human. An elcor wouldn´t ever run (unless his very life depended on it), but if he did, it was best to get out of his way...

The old ex-soldier climbed the stairs and crossed the threshold that gave way to the ceiling. There was a lone mercenary who was dispatched without delay. He scanned the terrain accidents (houses, pipes and ducts of air systems), avoiding looking at the ceiling of the cavernous space station, not to be distracted. There was no trace of the merchant. How could a mass of nearly four meters long by two high, disappear from a roof without a trace?... Either it had sprouted wings... or it had never been there to begin with!. But that was not possible. His contact had shown him relevant information to verify the target was there.

Something was wrong. He thought for a second, retracing his steps from the time when his associate send him the contract murder in Illium. The contractor had been terribly solicit when requested to provide graces such as payment in advance and information about his mission. He had commissioned his broker to find what he could about his new target, and the data was collected very easily...

As if it was there... ready for it to be found!...

He snapped to alertness raising his old rifle, the tension in his body building up with each passing second. If his broker had sent him to a trap, he would pay dearly. His mind flew quickly to the corpse that was behind him. He approached and searched frantically for any logo or ID., without finding it. Began to loot the body armor and a feeling that made his heart beat wildly found its reward: There, at the base of the neck of the killed mercenary (a human by the way) was the tattoo of a stylized sun in light blue, which confirmed his suspicions...

Vido Santiago was after him again...

The sound of elevation of a Mantis gunship made him snap out of it. The old man jumped for cover behind a house, while several bursts passed nearby him. Some of the shots bounced off his shield kinetic, leading it to a dangerously low level. A voice greeted him from the vehicle's speakers:

_- Zaeed!. Vido Santiago says hi!... -_ And then fired a missile at the building that gave him shelter. The mercenary jumped back, in time not to perish in the explosion, but couldn´t prevent to be projected back, almost over the edge of the building, to a four-story fall. Had lost "Jessie", having fallen into the street during the explosion, so he grabbed fiercely from the ledge. But the assault machine was still there. It was only a matter of time before the hit-man found him, and then it was fucking bye bye.

He looked down. There were neither ropes nor trash. Nothing to diminish the impact of his fall. Only the hard, awaiting, cold floor of Omega. Looked to both sides and found on his left the Blue Suns´ship, circling around the building:

_- Come on!, say some last words to Vido before dying, Massani! -_Scorn and contempt were present in the voice coming from the device, but Zaeed couldn´t recognize it. Surely it was one of those unscrupulous mercenaries who joined the ranks of the Blue Suns after being betrayed. An itch on the right side of his face reminded him of the day his fellow soldier stuck a shot point blank in his face.

Now had half the face of a poor bastard stuck to his skull, because that was all that sleazy doctor who had treated him after, could do for him. His right eye was a blue so clear that it stood out, especially compared with his left, dark eye. Anger and rage invaded him. Anger for having been fooled by an old trick that looked like a job. Rage because that motherfucker Vido still had to pay for what he did to him. But every second hanging from that cornice, made chances of that happening more and more slim.

With a challenging face, he turned toward the ship floating at his side, no doubt recording every moment of bitterness of his predicament. Nailed the disparate eyes on the cockpit and putting together all the animosity and hatred that twenty years of vendetta can inspire, shouted:

_- Vido!, Not even in fucking hell you can hide from me! -_Letting his eyes speak of the ordeal that awaited his enemy. The ship activated its guns against him, but the shots did not struck. He had jumped himself to vacuum... to a four-story fall broken by the awning of a materials transport passing by. Zaeed bounced off it and ended on the floor of the district, alongside his weapon.

Rising as fast as he could, the ex-soldier enabled the concussive shots of his rifle and opened fire on the transport, while its mass effect guns opened fired over him. Lacking any heavier weapons with which to damage the flying machine more seriously, concussive shots, whose main objective was to quickly deplete enemy´s kinetic barriers would have to do the trick. The shots crashed into the blue shield of the ship, but the mercenary was in luck, because a spark came from the chassis. Something was not working well and he was able to corroborate it when the ship began to move erratically.

The death machine went away, fighting furiously to maintain control. But he hadn´t escaped unscathed. His shield had absorbed much of the damage brought about by his fall, but it hadn´t been enough to stop the other bursts of his enemy.

He put his hand to the abdomen and watched the crimson liquid sprout from his torso. Medigel systems in his armor were not working properly, so the infamous mercenary manually opened the deposits and proceeded to apply what little remained on his visible wounds. The gunship was gone, but the henchmen of his enemy would soon come. He leaned a moment in a dumpster and saw a strange craft, blue and square, descending by the distance. Knowing that to stay in that place meant death, he started walking, leaning laboriously in the butt of his beloved "Jessie".

Didn´t think newcomers would be Samaritans, but he´d rather take the risk, than wait for the rest of the Blue Suns to find him...

* * *

Comments, reviews and complaints of any kind are very appreciated!

Next: Kaidan and co. adventures on Omega, a glimpse at (boring) Citadel politics... and Shepard meets Rick Hunter!. Stay tuned!


	8. Seven: Polítics and other bad habits

_Robotech and their characters are properties of Harmony Gold USA Inc., Mass Effect and their characters are properties of Bioware. There´s no economic remuneration gained from this story._

* * *

Si deseas leer esta misma historia en idioma español, por favor checa **"Sombras de los Segadores"**, en el mismo apartado **Crossovers:Robotech-Mass Effect.**

* * *

Okay buddies!, I´m back with a new chapter. Athough it was more or less a month i know, but i´m dong my best to update as fast as i can.

Honorable mentions: **Mecaldar**, **hell2k09** and **Rydan fall**, thanks for favoring this one. Hopefully you´ll enjoy it as much as i enjoy writing it.

**Igni Ferroque, Phoenix Knight, Texas Jack** and **Rydan Fall** (again): Thanks for addig me to your alerts, and hopefully you´ll like better this story.

**Angelus288: I´ll try and make updates more frequently. **

Okay, let´s begin the show!

* * *

_**Chapter Seven:**_

_**Politics, sincerity and some other bad habits.**_

_Council Tower´s Private Hangar, The Citadel_

_Serpent Nebula, near the Widow star,_

_Sagittarius Galactic Arm_

Ambassador Donnel Udina, dressed for the official reception ceremony, rubbed his hands showing a nervousness that was becoming more pronounced. As he approached the reception group, trying to hide his anxiety, watched the delegations of the Council, while reflecting on the turmoil that had shaken the Earth in previous days. It had been nearly ten days of the Citadel (less than five of them of the Earth) since the arrival of the so-called Robotech Expeditionary Force, and the general view of the terran commanders had been absolute scandal.

The Parliament and the Alliance's military junta (between which amounted the largest number of public servants in the history of humanity), reacted with unusual speed to the news. Extraordinary sessions were called, lasting for the last ninety-six hours. Cases were reviewed, as well as the policy of the Alliance for relations with the aliens and the war doctrine. Many things had been said on the stand, that had remained veiled since the time of the First Contact War.

But the shocking news were, that the visitors that embarrased the Citadel Fleet were humans, coming from an alternate dimension (if the story mentioned and endorsed by the Council could be believed). The bombshell was that the visitors sought to be recognized by the Citadel as a nation, independent of the Alliance. So High Command officers had decided to travel to the gargantuan space station, from their base in Arcturus, sending in advance a group of advisers who were to stablish contact with representatives of the foreign ship two days ago.

The news media on Earth had been kept in the dark over the details, but that wasn´t going to last, because the population of the Citadel had witnessed the events (and several thousands of humans and other aliens were involved in the compensation the Expeditionary Force was giving to those affected by the incident). Udina was aware of this situation and, if a few weeks ago someone had told him that his world was about to turn upside down, he would´ve sent (politely of course) the bold naive to hell.

Now the north became south, and things were not as clear as they were...

He stopped in front of the group that his embassy had assembled and made his way through the various advisers and officers, until he found what he sought. There were the Alliance Navy officials, preparing for the reception of Admiral Hunter and his diplomatic entourage. Up front was a man who had seen their best years serving the interests of humanity, like so many others at Arcturus. Admiral Steven Hackett, of the Fifth Fleet, was a political rival who had to be taken seriously. It was thanks to him and his recommendations, that Commander Shepard was promoted as a candidate for the Spectre group, and his friendship with Captain Anderson was well known. Udina didn´t like his presence at the Citadel. If he had in mind however that political forces of the Earth were in turmoil, as if a child were throwing stones at a nest of wasps, his presence on the space station was more than justified.

Beside him stood a man a little smaller, Caucasian, clean-shaven features, with Admiral's stripes on his shoulder. The commanding officer of the Third Fleet, Grant Sparks, the father of civilian captain Jennifer Sparks, who had made first contact with the newcomers, flanking a group of presences: The President of the North-American United States: Ford v. Huerta, his pair of the European Union: Vladimir Illich Kurchenko, and the Prime Minister of the Federation of China: Zang Xiou Guo. The guests were attentive, although a little distressed, ready to get any new information that would enable them to evaluate "the others".

The ambassador couldn´t avoid nervousness also. The newcomers had rejected an invitation from the representatives of the Alliance to travel to the mother planet:

_"I fear we are in no position to make a trip of this nature at the time. Repairs to our ship, and the promised compensation to the Citadel because of the misdeeds, force us to stay here. When we had paid our debt to the Council however, we would be most pleased to visit Earth. According to information provided by your aides, its a beautiful place" _Ambassador Hayes had said.

He didn´t like the negative he´d received, that had led the dignitaries of the three most powerful nations on Earth to travel to the space station. If these newcomers had technology and military forces that could propel humans to obtain a privileged position when it came to supporting their demands to the galactic community (not to mention it could prevent painful and terrible incidents such as Elysium and Eden Prime), then, the diplomat thought, they were obliged to share it with them (and if that thought didn´t enter their minds, it was his responsibility to remind them of their loyalties).

He looked at his watch. It was less than three minutes before the Horizont transport scheduled to bring the leaders, would land at the private dock in the Tower of the Council. The delegations of the Citadel races and their partners were already waiting for, assembled in place, flanked by a group of soldiers dressed in full ceremonial uniforms and weapons, standing in formation and ready to fire saves. Additionally, a group of children from the Council races stood in the background, waiting to give flowers to the newcomers as soon as they stepped down from their ship.

_"Vultures at least have the decency of looting those already dead"_, he thought, and with a long sigh, settled himself into place. The ship was already closing in to the spaceport.

* * *

As the spacecraft descended to the Presidum, escorted by a couple of Alpha fighters and flying through an air corridor established by C-Sec specifically for them, Lisa Hayes, dressed in a sober and elegant white evening gown with discrete floral details, slightly reminiscent of ancient Japanese kimonos, leaned over the armchair of the resting cabin of the ship. At her side, Rick Hunter, dressed in the inmaculated uniform of the Expeditionary Force, reviewed the latest reports on repairs to the SDF-3, and the final bids for the purchases of the exotic materials they had brought.

The REF had received offers of millions of credits (something truly outrageous) for the shipment of more than five hundred tons of Monopole they brought with them (once the Council scientists learned of its properties). Also, a number that hovered above six zeros, was mentioned for the schematics of the prototypes of first generation Veritechs, which they had agreed to sell to the nations of the Council. The Alliance, in conjunction with the Asari Republics, had decided to bid for the planes of VF-X (the prototype of the VF-1 "Valkyrie" that Rick himself had been responsible for showing, dusting out the venerable Skull-1), while the Turian Hierarchy had opted for the planes of VF-X-0 "Phoenix", impressed by the aggressive and predatory line of the ship.

The Alliance had pressed too, by way of Ambassador Udina, for more technology, despite having reached an interesting agreement with Sirta Foundation, to sell some of the diagnosis and medical equipment that had been developed from Tirolian technology, which the medical company was interested on well enough. The recommendation of Captain Sparks, however, weighed on the minds of the negotiators of the REF. It was decided the representatives of the Alliance would be supported, with technology that didn´t put humans on this dimension, on a decisively superior position. Rick thought he had seen too much bloodshed throughout his life, to lend his newest "friends" considerably dangerous "toys".

The protest was swift and although things like the Omnidirectional barrier, the Synchro-cannons and Folding systems haven´t been considered for negotiations, Udina tried and pressed for being supplied with at least "half-functional" prototypes. Lisa had stopped the ambassador, commenting that those were "advantages" which the REF was not about to give up easily though, and despite the (justified) complaints that these weapons could tip the balance in their favor in the event of an open conflict, both Hunters felt that they couldn´t be handed down, unless something extraordinary happened and they regained the opportunity to return home.

Lisa woke from her trance and turned to see her husband, who was undoubtedly thinking about the consequences of all this. The wrinkled, graying pilot's forehead showed a frown of concern that was becoming more frequent. Both were aware of the tensions that came with the Admirality, but their experience dealing with these new races (and especially so powerful military nations) was not as overwhelming previously as it was now.

She went to him and leaned gently on his chest, only making the minimum pressure for him to notice:

_- Rick Hunter ... if I didn´t know you I´d say you're nervous about the meeting -_

_- No. .. is not that sweetheart. I can care less about the aliens than you think -_

_- Are you still thinking about what Captain Sparks said? -_

_- Yes... It´s as if we were back in time, to the years before the Pioneer mission. All that litany of lies and manipulations between the RDF and the Southern Cross appears to be repeating itself again, only with different names... -_

Lisa nodded without saying anything. She was aware of what her husband commented and she never liked the situation either. As he listened to Rick talking calmly, her mind wandered off to the conversation they had held with the redhead.

* * *

Lisa came in hastily, to the War Room of the SDF-3 and sat on a chair. She had just finished her meeting with Udina and the envoys of President Huerta, and her mind moved at a rapid pace for an answer that only one person could give her:

_- I had just been with the advisers of one of the most powerful nations on Earth and have given them a diplomatically impeccable, but not-credible excuse, for refusing to visit Earth. __It is already time you tell us, Miss Sparks, why do we have to be wary of the Alliance? -_the ambassador had spoken to the petite captain who had arrived two minutes before and was just waiting, with her peers Huxley and Cho Li on both sides, on a nervous attitude.

Jennifer took a moment to catch her breath and sat on a chair, with Huxley taking position beside her and Cho Li leaning against the back wall. Rick, who was behind his wife, stood in front of the table outlining a gesture of concern, and pouring a glass of water from the metal jug they had on the furnishings. Max and Miriya Sterling (that were already waiting for the Admiral and his wife) made by other glasses, and moments later all of them had a drink. Jenny took a sip and began:

_- My grandfather was an officer of the Alliance, during the years when we made contact with aliens for the first time. He was stationed at a garrison near home, in the human colony of Shanxi. Our family was wealthy and had a certain military tradition going far back... __-_

She took a long drink and looked at the glass, wishing that suddenly the water in it transformed into whiskey, and continued:

_- ...when we made first contact, the aliens, that turned out to be the Turians, attacked us because we had broken one of the most sacred conventions of the Council: Do not enable any mass relays without knowing where they lead. The fact is that they attacked us and fired at the garrison of Shanxi. Its common knowledge to mankind all around here, that they were defeated by a human fleet that came later, as the siege of the colony developed. They would have fought back and start a full-scale war with terrible casualties for both sides, had the Council not intervened -_

_- Unfortunately the attack on our human colony caused many to die that day, including my grandparents. My father was among those who survived the ordeal. He had enlisted in the Alliance when younger and, after the conflict, had climbed the ranks quickly because of his dedication and hardwork on the institution, so that a tragedy like that wouldn´t be repeated again. After the war, it began circulating a manifesto which spoke of the need for a Cerberus, a caretaker of humanity, signed by an anonymous, that the press, in absence of information, dubbed the Illusive Man. All I'm telling you would have no meaning or relevance to explain the why, if it weren´t because years later, the illusive Man´s promise came true -_

_- Did he create a Cerberus?, a three-headed monstruous dog of human mythology? - _Miriya broke the silence.

_- Only figuratively... He actually founded an organization, which many people regard as terrorist: Cerberus -_ said the captain.  
_  
- I remember that name mentioned when we rescued you from your attackers - _said Max taking a seat as well.

_- Yes... They are dedicated, in his words, to "ensure the dominance of the human race in the galaxy". Its goals are maybe... noble ones, but their methods are certainly questionable, from what i´ve learned in my years of travelling the galaxy. And my father, who had become a soldier of great importance, was their associate. One day nearly five years ago, while on leave after i returned from the Alliance operations in Theshaca, found him asleep at his desk, exhausted by the enormous workload that he used to bring home. Was about to wake him when I couldn´t help looking at his desktop. There, I found reports that spoke of undercover operations from Cerberus in the Alliance Military. The documents mentioned sufficient evidence to expose infiltrators operating on several projects inside the military, such as Ascension or the Jon Grissom Academy. There was also a written evaluation of the handwriting of my father which, exhibiting a series of frankly dubious considerations, dismissed the allegations and evidence against them by declaring it "circumstantial". That day I scolded him for helping a group that didn´t mind shedding the blood of innocents, provided there was a gain for humanity, or at least for themselves. I will never forget his answer... -_

_- What was it? - _Lisa asked, fearing that she did not agree to tell.

Jenny lowered her head for a moment and both Huxley and Cho Li, laid their hands on her shoulders. No doubt this story was known to them. The girl didn´t lift her face, but her voice became serious and about to break:

_- He said that when young, had met a mercenary during the incident on Shanxi, a certain Jack. My father had become a reserved and taciturn guy, with a great distaste for aliens, particularly the Turians, thanks to the death of my grandparents. It seems that both had more in common than I thought, because months after the end of the military campaign, this man came looking for him. They discussed a lot and then he disappeared. Many years later, after he became a soldier of renown, he sought him out again. My father himself had told me this on that fateful day and added one thing I can not forget:_

_"The survival of humanity requires sacrifices that the Alliance is unwilling to acknowledge. Cerberus however, is not restricted by the constraints that plague the military. If cooperating with them allows me to avoid another Shanxi, Elysium or Torfan, then I am obliged, not by the Alliance... but for my own conscience... to help them" he said, without a shadow of regret in his eyes -_

_- On that fateful day four years ago, I decided to quit the Alliance, which i had joined because of him. Ran away from home and wandered for a while, until I fell on the Citadel. Learned a few months after, that he had been named Admiral of the Third Fleet, when the previous officer had died. If you ask me if Cerberus made it easier for him to reach that rank, as a reward for helping them, I would say without hesitation that I think so... and that´s something that fills me with shame -_

* * *

Lisa came back to reality when Rick stirred by her side. She thought of her late father, Admiral Hayes, and wondered if he would have done the same having been in his shoes. She did knew well that doing the right thing was often at odds with doing what was necessary to ensure the survival of humanity, but...

_"To what extent is necessary to dehumanize to ensure the survival of the species. Is it really inevitable to become an example of what can be the worst in us, to ensure that the good guys survive?"..._

_"Do we deserve to survive behaving that way?"..._

The firing of the antigravity systems and a slight vibration that traveled throughout the frame told them they were about to land. Rick stretched and she fought a slight yawn. Both gave a final touch to their clothes before walking back into the lounge, where the rest of the delegation was waiting:

_- Well, here we are. Play time for diplomacy -_the aging and cordial voice of the Admiral said to his companions. The Sterlings and Dr. Lang frankly smiled back at him. When he looked in the mirror, found that his tie was messed once more and it was always a struggle to accommodate it properly.

_- Try not to play too hard, Rick. You've never been good for that kind of thing -_ Max Sterling said, as he helped him accommodate the garment without much success. The Admiral had a deja vú to a time past and smiled. It had been so many years ago since he became married to Lisa...

_- Do not worry Rick -_ Miriya came forward, moving her husband out of the way and with the looks of complicity of everyone, untied the knot and quickly rebuild it:

_- If words are not going to cut it, I can always make them disappear from the face of this universe - _The green-haired woman squeezed the knot with the right amount of strenght. The tie remained in place.

The comments eased the tension built until then. Everyone laughed a few seconds and when the pilot gave the order, they reached for the transport lock...

* * *

_Space Station Omega, Sahrabarik System,_

_Omega Nebula, Terminus Systems,_

_Norma Galactic Arm_

_- Miss Em? -_

Kaidan Alenko encouraged himself to talk to the slender, purple-haired woman, who had spent the ten-minute drive from the "Archangel" to the space station, checking carefully her armor and the equipment they would use on the infiltration. She hadn´t taken seat during any of the stages of the journey, and her attitude made him think that maybe there was some latent resentment. He didn´t want things to be that way, since the problems such misunderstanding could cause were many, and because he was embarrassed by his attitude as well. He expected not to make things any worse by having such chat:

_- What´s going on Lieutenant Alenko? -_the female-robot said impassively, as she finished reviewing the gear. The Valverde boys had already sinchronized their computers with the ship´s and waited for the infiltrators to disembark, to start doing their part of the mission.

_- Can we speak in private?... it´ll only be a minute -_ he said and she nodded, pointing out to the exit ramp of the Beta. Kaidan strapped on his weapons (which had been returned promptly by the staff of the "Archangel", after having been checked and no doubt thoroughly analyzed) over the magnetic plates of his armor. Ready for any situation, he went down the ramp as she finished giving some instructions to the personnel that would remain on the ship. The gynoid went outside two minutes later, as she settled on her shoulder the Gallant rifle provided to them for the mission. Walked a few feet off of the ship and then turned to him, confided:

_- Tell me Lieutenant: What´s on your mind? -_ Her face didn´t reflect any nervousness or anxiety.

It was maddening ...

_- No offense Miss Em, but this is a nest of thieves and people of low birth. I don´t doubt your ability to defend yourself (not after what you did anyway...) but I'm not sure... -_ the soldier said, sounding doubtful.

_- Lt. We already had this discussion in the Control room. You shouldn´t have any doubt by now, that I can defend myself, besides being an expert in gathering information. So I don´t understand why you insist on singularizing me -_ her voice was cold as ice. Kaidan began to think that maybe he didn´t make the right call by talking to her.

_- It´s not like I try to (though I must confess that you´ll be getting a lot of attention in this place). But I want to make sure you´d be able to hold yourself when the time is right. Omega is a rather hostile territory and... -_

_- If you are going to doubt me every second because you think I can´t defend on my own, why don´t you try for yourself? - _the woman's tone was not aggressive, but her standard guard invited him to verify it. Kaidan was absorbed for a moment, undecided whether to agree to the manipulation the girl was doing of him or ignoring his doubts.

He didn´t want to confront the consequences of not finding out. Without a word, he let out a lightning right hand that seemed to connect solidly on the jaw of the young woman. But all he did was scratching the air.

Janice had moved away to the left and had measured the precise movements of the soldier. The man could display large amounts of power, but lacked the speed of his opponent. Alenko released another hit that she effortlessly parried, intercepting his arm and holding it, then making him spin in a spectacular pirouette to bring him down. It had cost her less than a few nanoseconds of processing to anticipate the movements of her opponent and adapt to his strategy. Her robotic sensors detected an increase of adrenaline in the body of man, and the guy went up in a flash.

The punches were faster this time. The kick that was aimed at her head would have hurt her, had she failed to react in time to block with her armored arms. He charged against her trying to pin her, but she was faster again. Made him trip and ended on the floor. He stood up in a jiffy, ready to continue the battle and displaying the blue aura of biotic power that always appeared on his body when channeling power.

Angelo Dante's voice stopped them:

_- Hey!, leave that for the locals. The less we take to find that contact of yours... -_ he came between them facing Alenko, the CVR-3 armor he wore making him look more impressive than he already was _- ...the more time you´ll have to return to the ship to settle things between you - _he said separating them.

The Valverde twins carefully watched the scene without saying anything, standing on the ramp of the aircraft, with a grimace halfway between fright and fun. As it came, the electric current in the body of the Alliance soldier ceased:

_- Okay... no hard feelings -_ Kaidan said without turning to her.

_- Alright Lieutenant. Captain Dante is right, it's best we leave now -_ she replied without a trace of effort or emotion in her voice. Then hit the helmet communicator of her armor and said:

_- Checking communications -_

_- [Ultra-line transmitter operating. Unless the locals have a way to decrypt an NSF-20, quantum-level encryption, I don´t think anyone would even suspect we are broadcasting] -_ Berta Valverde said, returning the message.

The gynoid didn´t say anything, but beckoned Angelo Dante, who was approaching, towing a motorcycle, powerful in appearance and design, in a dark blue scheme color similar to the ship´s. On that order, Angelo activated a switch in the vehicle. Kaidan thought having already seen everything that the foreigners could do to surprise him, when he looked at the motorcycle contorting in impossible ways, restructuring and transforming into a military armor, to fit the body of the soldier. Then he jumped away from them, into the roofs of Omega, as if defying gravity.

_- Come on -_ she ordered, starting to walk while the turbines of the ship restarted and the machine lifted off.

Alenko didn´t know what to think. He had never met soldiers of such class. She was able to intercept his shots with such ease, that it was astounding. Not even Shepard, when both had ocassionally trained together, proved to be that fast and skillful. She had also blocked a kick that would have thrown a Krogan without much effort... This woman Janice was an unknow factor, and he knew from experience that those kind of people were dangerous. He couldn´t help but thinking he was tempting his fate by cooperating with her and the others. He only hoped that his personal refusal to ask too many questions wouldn´t return later to bite him in the ass...

They walked a few hundred meters away, watching the ancillary and main buildings at the district. Bridges, landings, balconies and small squares of common areas with a sickly yellow light, gave the place an amber and unkempt appearance, which was accentuated even more by seeing the amount of gear and makeshift barricades that were lifted in places. Dirt and trash everywhere. All of that gloom and ruin made the the poorest neighborhoods of the Citadel look like a piece of heaven. Kaidan saw at least ten places where any crook could set a trap, and many dark corners where it was easy to become lost. Janice also saw these and a few more, and changed her path consistently. The sound of gunfire however warned them, making them ready their weapons and stick to the walls to avoid any surprises.

They continued to advance, on alert because of the shots from far away, until they stopped. A hundred meters later, the source of the sound was clear:

They were reaching the confluence of three narrow and poorly lit streets. A regional outpost where there was a parapet, formed by a rectangular metal frame, which stood about three meters tall, and guarded the three corridors. Amidst the front, it had a slot behind which someone could shoot and where one could take cover in case of an attack. Behind it, was a makeshift shelter of a modular design, by way of a temporary guard post. There were several corpses, humans and aliens, with their different blue and red bloods running down the walls. But the most interesting thing was coming out of the house itself.

A stocky man in a yellow armor with white lines on the bib and a striated, silver-colored shoulder pad, lurched to and fro, as if drunk or very sick. He was leaning on the butt of a worn assault rifle, similar to Alenko´s. His clothing was tattered in some places and had patches of alternating dry and fresh blood in some sections of his torso. He seemed to wander aimlessly. Kaidan took the shotgun from his back and pointed to him, but a sign of Janice ordered him to drop his guard.

_- It is a human, as much as my sensors can determine. He´s alive, but on deplorable health conditions -_ she said, watching the man through the visor of her armor. His vital signs were stable, but at a dangerously low level.

_- Medigel dispensers were ripped from the frame of his armor. If he did it himself, has a tremendous will to live - _Alenko commented, pointing out some spots on the chest, arms and legs of the wounded man.

The guy seemed to notice the presence of the subjects in front of him and tried to lift the rifle, without much success:

_- Vido! ... get out... of your hole... lousy... miserable rat! - _he murmured in a tone so low that only Janice heard it clearly. At the same time he tried to lift the rifle, but his body didn´t move, collapsing before them, just to try to stand up again with considerable effort.

_- What? - _asked the young soldier, lowering his guard. The echo of a distant, forgotten past, seemed to lurk hidden in the words the dying man had uttered the newcomers.

_- He is delusional. The cellular activity of his body is on the rise. It seems he is sick or reacting to a foreign substance -_ she said walking towards him and observing like a lab rat.

_- It´s the effect of medigel. It stimulates mitochondrial cell metabolism, making his cells work twice as fast. As a result the body becomes more efficient in its operation, but its energy reserves are depleted at rapid speed. An overdose can produce this effect we are seeing -_ the Alliance soldier said, pointing to the guy. Given his looks, he guessed their guest was a mercenary.

Dante's voice rang in both communicators:  
_  
- [We´ve got company!. Armed hostiles approaching from the side street on your left. Six targets with light weapons, but they have a land vehicle with four more of them, with what looks like heavy weapons. I recommend immediate evasion] -_

_- It seems someone wants him dead -_ the voice of women reflected a minimum of stress.

_-__ We can´t leave him here. These guys sure are after him. Additionally, he may die without proper medical care - _said the soldier, approaching the robust man and gently placing a hand on his chest, to make him stay on the ground.

_- [He rates as a liability. We can´t really do much for him] -_ Dante's voice came through the ultra-line comm _- [If we help him, we risk attracting the enmity of those who are looking for him. I say we leave him here, we can´t do anything else] -_

_- We can send him back to the ship. You can save him as you did with me!... - _Kaidan insisted, standing up and heading towards the woman.

_- [Understand it Lieutenant!. Our´s is a search mission, not rescue!. If we help him, we lose our means of an emergency extraction and air support for a couple of hours, which is very risky. They´ll be upon us in two minutes!, let's go!] -_ Angelo said, his voice hurried.

_- How can you say that?, we can get him to a clinic and keep him alive damn it! -_ Kaidan was outraged. Some days ago, he was willing to accept similar circumstances without complaining. Now his heart urged him to fight fiercely for the right to live of other people, who once didn´t inspire anything in him...

Janice smiled a moment and walked toward him.  
_  
- To be immersed in a "nest of thieves and people of low birth", Lieutenant Alenko, you´re deeply concerned by a local -_ Janice said in a tone of sarcasm that made Kaidan want to strangle her. But the robot didn´t stop there. She took a first aid kit and put an injection to the arm of a mercenary_ - This is a dose of nanomachines, along with an energy supplement. It will help him regulate his functions and give him a chance until we can find him adequate medical care. Take him back to the parapet and get ready. To help him, you have to do more than carry him. Captain Dante, surround them __and be ready to fire on my mark! -_ She commanded and ran with astonishing speed up to the barricade, jumping and standing behind it.

Kaidan was to replicate something, but stopped in awe. Decided not to tempt his fate with an inappropriate comment. Pulled the body of the mercenary behind the parapet. Inwardly cursing his newfound streak of the samaritanism, focused and checked his weapons. In less than a minute or two, he might have to make use of them all...

* * *

_Diplomatic Reception Hall of the Council Tower, The Citadel_

_Serpent Nebula, near the Widow star,_

_Sagittarius Galactic Arm_

_"Diplomatic parties are like wildlife. Instead of green jungles full of exuberant forms, browned and dry grasslands in the light shining in the African afternoon, bluish pristine icy plains bathed by the cold polar winds and limpid blue-green oceans in which organic life stirs each second, the scenarios have changed. Exchanged for enormous metal rooms, symbols of prosperity and modernity that the new times bring with them. Revered icons in the order in which evolution recreates itself, but in which all participants are wolves..._

_Wolves in sheep's clothing. Some disguised better than others, but ultimately predators all of them. Diplomats, politicians, celebrities... under their expensive and fine clothes, perfect hair and lush smiles, there are wild animals. Beasts that should be in zoos, rather than roaming freely around the world"._

_"Lupus est homo homini, non homo" ..._

That was what Lisa Hayes-Hunter thought as she moved among the large group gathered at the formal reception party, which the Council had offered to celebrate their arrival. She didn´t know where to look, to avoid the faces of the many representatives of the powers gathered there, hoping to take a juicy slice of the novelty that was their arrival.

She could deal with it. The ten years that she had been Admiral Hayes, in charge of carrying out the Pioneer Mission project, with opposing political factions haunting her every move, had taught her thousands of things about how to negotiate and deal with different people and groups. Although many times it seemed that different storms were about to overflow and wreck her fragile craft, Admiral Hayes always knew how to take the boat to safe port.

As far as she could see, her people wasn´t doing it so badly either.

Dr. Lang was having a friendly chat with some representatives of various races. Scientific advisors (especially the Salarians, which showed an enormous curiosity about him) were surprised by the ease with which the old scientist demonstrated to understand the physics concepts of mass effect, and to extrapolate from his own knowledge. Coming paired with his affable and humble attitude, it wasn´t strange that he already had a large group of listeners.

Max Sterling on the other hand, was using his natural charisma to please everyone. The same characteristic that earned him the sympathy of many, in the beginnigs of the RDF, was appealing to the different participants in the meeting. It could certainly be of concern to Miriya that the heir to the terran energy company Eldfell-Ashland, Miss Aishwaria "Aish" Ashland, known (and outrageous) socialite, was hovering insistently to the mature pilot. Miriya also dealt with a lot of human admirers, and the occasional Elcor and Asari. However she still had enough zeal to embrace the arm of Max from time to time and strongly appear beside him.

Rick was the one she most worried about. His face showed not only irritation, but blatant annoying. He didn´t want to be there and she knew it. They had an argument before coming down to the reception. The reason for his anger had been the Citadel rules imposed for the establishment of the embassy. Considering their situation, many of the restrictions and terms of the "Treaty of Farixen" didn´t apply to them. They were however, expected to honor them as much as possible until the joint efforts of the nations helped them find a way back home.

The denial of use of the Synchro-cannons was, without doubt, what most infuriated him. After the representatives of the Council races were shown what their main weapon was capable of doing, the fear on their faces grew considerably. She said it was natural of them to put this restriction, considering it was technology they had agreed not to negotiate or give to anyone, but that didn´t make the situation less tense. She had asked him to try and overcome the circumstances, but the Admiral hadn´t been particularly assertive at that point.

She hadn´t lost sight of him all night, while making her own efforts to improve relations between their people and the other aliens. The Asari and Salarians (especially Counselor Amoth) had approached her to offer their help from the first day. The Turians had taken longer to accept, their pride hurt by what happened to the Citadel Fleet standing in their way. As Captain Anderson (who had spoken in their favor with the human ambassadors, blessed he be!) had said, it wasn´t a strange situation, because of what happened during the First Contact War. Turians probably were mustering their mental forces to face a second humiliating situation at galactic scale in a relatively short time, so she tried not to give them any more reasons for anger.

She was more concerned about the Systems Alliance. She knew she couldn´t sever ties with the mother planet indefinitely, since there would be elements of her crew curious about the fate of the Earth in this dimension (although many of them were born in Tirol and they had never seen the blue sphere in person). But the existence of that group Cerberus greatly worried her. She much remembered the damage T. R. Edwards did with the captured Invid technology, and she wasn´t about to repeat such an experience.

_"...qualis sit non novit quom"_, she finished the sentence.

_"Plautus and Hobbes... so much reason you both had!"._

Had lost sight of Rick. A quick glance at the crowded room and she found him. He was chatting amiably with the dignitaries of the Earth, with Ambassador Udina near them, acting as diplomatic backing. He didn´t like the human diplomat. Like every good politician, he seemed to wait for the right time to turn things in his favor. But he didn´t make her lose sleep either. Not at least when Captain Anderson was next to him, to put a brake at his actions. Having been a mentor for Jenny Sparks made him a natural ally they couldn´t afford to deny. In addition, Rick had found in him a kindred soul, and his personal views on the events of the Citadel had been very accurate when dealing with certain elements of the galactic society.

Right now, the Admiral was leaving the group of politicians and heading towards her, wine glasses in hand, with the pretense of getting her a drink. Lisa smiled and let him come close. Excused herself from the conversation she had with a fervent Hanar ambassador, and approached her husband, who seemed choked, pulling him away from the hustle, into a terrace:

_- What is happening Admiral?. You seem... pestered - _she said softly, pointing to the animated treat they had at their backs and closing the polarized glass doors that isolated the noise. She leaned on the railing of the solitary terrace, overlooking a magnificent view of the pink Serpent Nebula, with the multicolored lights of the Presidium and the Wards lighting the artificial night.

_- Too many public relations in a few minutes... -_ he said, sitting at a table nearby and calling softly to her _- ... if you had heard the presidents of the Earth... I understand that everyone wants a piece of our technology or a commitment to us (after seeing what happened a few weeks ago I would try to do the same). But sometimes they are so sultry... -_ she approached, and he handed her a stylized, very unorthodox glass. Sitting on his legs, she took a sip. It was an Asari wine, golden, slightly sweet, which tasted like wonder.

_- I understand you're not comfortable Rick. __But it´s important they see the Admirality is capable of fulfilling certain protocol functions. __I'm not as comfortable either. Those Hanar, with its excessive formalism ("This humble one hopes to clarify with her most excellent person about questions concerning the role of her nation in the galaxy") can be very insistent when talking about the... what do they call them?... The Enkindlers... yes, that's the name -_ said as she threw her arms around him in a childish attitude and imitated the ultracorrect phlegm of the aliens.

_- The Proteans... another mystery of all the ones this place has brought. If not for the physical differences between them, I would think of the Robotech Masters and the people of Tirol -_ he said taking a sip from his own glass.

_- Well... Tirolians as far as i know, existed as a civilization long before these Proteans came to dominate this galaxy. But such a nation doesn´t disappear so suddenly, although it is true that decay and time usually end with the remaining legacy of many people... but still... Do you think that when we become extinct as a species, the other races will even remember us? -_ she said suddenly, her imagination rocketing to new levels.

_- I think so, at least the people we have helped will. Something terrible should happen for them not to - _he said quietly.

_- But fifty thousand years is a long time. And in it anything can happen - _her tone was pensive and nostalgic. It was difficult to consider, even though they may not tell, that they might never come home...

_- That is also true. Suddenly you´re rather emotional. What?, has the giant flying jellyfish been bothering you?. Maybe you're losing your touch gir - _Rick refrained from laughing out loud and just smiled, bringing his nose to his wife in a loving gesture that she returned without hesitation. The intimacy between them had not disappeared, but since losing her son when the Edwards rebellion, things had not been the same...

_- I'll let you talk to the ambassador five minutes and we´ll see who is losing the touch -_ she said regaining her courage, and closing her eyes to lean her head lightly on his chest. She missed and longed for those fleeting moments of peace, which were so scarce in the midst of the storm.

_- On the other hand, Dr. Lang and Max seem to be having a very good time... -_ she added gently.

_- Bah!, Max has always been a bit presumptuous, despite how much he says otherwise. And the good doctor is in his element. It wouldn´t surprise me that our public relations improved greatly because of what they´re doing. Surprisingly, Miriya seems to be behaving... -_ Said as he raised his face and saw her in the eye. He didn´t like being angry with her, but sometimes it costed him a little to deal with the incessant pressure of being the leader of a ship lost in an alternate world.

_- Actually she´s watching closely this girl Ashland. I wouldn´t want to be in those shoes of her if she incurred in the bad faith of our beloved alien - _the ambassador emphasized with a gesture of her index finger and grimacing.

_- That would be bad for our new galactic relationships!. We can´t let our Zentraedi partner make an interstellar scandal!... __-_ he said posing as serious as he could and raising a rather grim look from his wife.

Neither of these could hold for more than a few seconds and then they let out a loud laugh, which was however drowned by the noise of the meeting. Both laughed till they could no more, and once the graciousness of the situation passed by, looked into their eyes and forgot their problems for awhile. Nothing seemed to disturb the quiet of their embrace. How long had it been since they were together, in a situation so peaceful?. None of them remembered, but at that time it didn´t matter in the slightest.

After a few minutes that seemed like years, the quiet, tired clearing of a voice took them out of their reverie.

_- Ambassador, Admiral... -_ The voice of Captain Anderson made them turn up unexpectedly _- I didn´t mean to interrupt but... -_ said the officer in evening blue with bright gold uniform of the Alliance.

_- Don´t worry Captain. How can we be of help? -_ she asked while smoothing part of her dress. Rick accommodated the knot of his tie, then both came near him.

_- Matriarch Lidanya and the High Command of the Citadel Fleet have arrived and are __waiting for you and your wife. As it had been agreed -_

Rick became fully awaken as he heard that. The Matriarch had made of his knowledge in subsequent communications after the declaration of truce, that she wanted to know personally the man who commanded the SDF-3. But he didn´t expect all the officers of the Fleet to be with her.

_- Well, I think you have to play diplomacy again Admiral. Just please don´t go causing any interstellar incident -_ she said sarcastically.

_- Thank you captain. We´ll be with you in a minute - _that said, the old soldier walked back into the hall. Rick turned to see his companion:

_- What, won´t you come with me to meet the Matriarch?. If I understood correctly, Asari, despite their longevity, age really well. If all of them do with the grace of Councillor Tevos, I will be enjoying the meeting very much -_ Rick said teasing her.

_- No darling... -_ She said fixing her hair and teasing him as well_ - I'm afraid that the Elcor ambassador promised to introduce me to Francis Kitt, a playwright who is thinking about riding a version of "Hamlet" with a very unique cast, one hundred percent Elcor. Shakespeare is a classic and I ... I couldn´t resist -_

_- Since when do you like the classics? -_ he _s_aid in a genuinely surprised tone.

_- When you retire from the military honey, you find that suddenly you have a huge amount of time and don´t know what to do with it. I decided using it to revisit the readings of my youth. I remember reading "Hamlet" at fifteen... -_

_- Did you read "Hamlet" at fifteen?, I just started flipping through "Midsummer Night´s Dream" at that age -_

_- Yeah, well ... I had in fact read "Romeo and Juliet" and "Midsummer Night´s Dream" before, when I was twelve ... I was a complete nerd then. You´d understand that i didn´t become the best in my class just because of my good looks... - _she said smugly, taking the last sip of her drink.

_- You got that right. I should have never called you "old hag" first we met... I should´ve called you "bookworm" - _another woman would have reacted badly. Not her, after all they had spent together.

_- Don´t push your luck Hunter. Have fun with your new friends! -_ she said and kissed his cheek, walking into the party.

Rick gave a long sigh as he settled his medals. When he came back to the party and found Captain Anderson, he ceremoniously asked:  
_  
- Won´t we be accompanid by your wife? - _to that Rick said with parsimony:

_- I'm afraid not Captain. I tried changing her for an older woman... and she has changed me for a man dead for more than five centuries!... -_

* * *

_Omega Space Station, Sahrabarik System,_

_Omega Nebula, Terminus Systems,_

_Norma Galactic Arm_

Angelo watched the scene through the digital zoom lens of his armor´s helmet. The soldiers who were coming to the plaza were tracking a signal in a device like an holographic gauntlet, one of them had on his arm. Lieutenant Alenko had told them of that: An omnitool.

Louis and the other scientists spoke wonders about the technology and mentioned its possible applications to their own devices. But for now it was no time to elucidate on the advantages of such a device. The soldiers had come to the crossroads where the guard post was, and began combing the area. Five of them human (including a few women, one of whom was carrying what looked like a rocket launcher) and three aliens that matched the profile the lieutenant had told about the so-called "Turians". Two more of them, with four pairs of eyes, profile unknown to them. All in body armor dyed in bright blue with distinctive white and silver.

His mind quickly recalled what Janice had said:

_- We are at a disadvantage in strength, so we try to hide as much as possible. This portable parapet in the middle of the plaza has a trunk in which two people can fit a bit cramped. I recommend that we put our guest there. While he remains unconscious there will be little problem. Quickly!, they´re approaching now! -_

He remained alert while watching the armed men and creatures coming into the plaza, peering into the corners and moving in perfect synchrony. He didn´t like what he saw a bit. They weren´t lightly trained goons or simple thugs. Their movements and the way they conducted their search patterns talked about people with experience in combat. If there was a shooting, things could get complicated.

Kaidan meanwhile, had put the mercenary in the container and ran and hid in the guard post. Lost sight of the woman but hadn´t bothered to look, with the enemy being so close. Took the shotgun of his back and prepared mentally. He had steeled his concentration during his travels on the Normandy, and the little notes of nervousness that assailed him at the beginning of his mission had vanished, replaced by a not entirely unexpected quiet.

A dark-skinned man, left the group and went to the parapet of the center of the square:

_- Where will he be hidding?, sneaky old bastard! -_

_- Silence N'kano!, The man went through here! -_ said a Turian without any visible insignias, around wich everyone else acted with deference, lifting the bodies of the men the other merc had sent to hell:

_- Alpha search pattern!, check all the area!. That stupid old man is good with a sniper rifle, and if he got one, we have serious problems. Persius, Richardson!, look by the roof, there and there... - _he said, indicating different sites in the windows and rooftops of adjacent buildings. Kaidan thought that Captain Dante wasn´t going to run into the them, but if the fight started now, they could gain positional advantage.

_- [Captain Dante. They´re separating. Do not initiate hostile actions, unless absolutely necessary] -_ the voice of Janice hummed in the communicator _- [Hopefully they won´t finding anything and will be parting soon] -_

_- [Roger] - _heard the gigantic soldier answer. Kaidan thought about his relative position in the battlefield. He had gotten into a container of weapons that was quite stretch, had put some boxes to his sides and expected to appear like one of the lot, hoping no one would bother to check. He heard orders shouted to one of them and immediately felt vibrations in the floor of the building.

Someone had come to check and, judging by the regularity and strength of the steps, speculated that whoever it was, wasn´t very pleased with this task. He heard him move quickly through the structure, metal footsteps echoing ever closer to the group of boxes. Felt a sudden surge of heat and a slight trickle of sweat running down his forehead, leaving a sticky sensation inside the hull of his helmet. The steps came in a bit closer and then some more. Sound of things falling. Doors opening, whoever he was, he looked inside the cabinets. Papers and drawers falling onto the floor of plasteel. The vibrations were getting closer. Suddenly he realized he was holding his breath unconsciously, his helmet speakers amplifying the intensity of the sounds around him.

A blow over him and he knew the guard had come to check the point where he was hidden. Held his breath consciously this time and raised his shotgun to the chest, preparing to jump like a coil when the soldier discovered (if he did) his makeshift hiding place. The lid of the container where he was didn´t move however:

_- [Stop the search, We´ll advance to the next point] -_

He heard the enemy communication sufficiently clear, a sign that the searching one was too much close to his liking. But heard the steps going away and relaxed. Suddenly he realized he was pressing too hard the handle of his weapon. Janice's voice came over his comm:

_- [They´re going away... I´ll indicate you when it´s safe to go out lieutenant] -_

Alenko waited. No longer he heard noises near and dared to lift the lid of the container. Nobody was around. He got up a little more, to increase his range of vision. He could make out the trunk where he had placed the old, injured man. There was no movement detected.

Suddenly it happened.

He heard a noise like strokes on a metal surface and turn around to see the trunk. It strongly shook as if something or someone wanted to leave...

Janice yelled at the communicator

_- [Damn, he woke up and the enemy has taken notice!, Lieutenant Alenko!, you are the closest one, get it out from there!] -_

Upon hearing this Kaidan came out of hiding with lightning speed. Ran out of the house and turned to his left near the parapet, where the trunk was. Opened the lid to find the old ex-dying man in a rage, constantly beating the metal cover.

_- Let me out you miserable! -_ Shouted, throwing a punch when he realized that his prison was opened.

_- Ssshh... shut up old man, or we'll get in trouble -_ Kaidan whispered dodging the fireball that was heading to his face. Zaeed Massani rose full length, and Kaidan soon realized that out of hiding, the old man would be hard to keep concealed. Too late...

_- There he is!, Open fire! -_

Both turned in unison to see the Suns Blue lift their arms. The young soldier didn´t think twice. A split second was enough to take a step forward, concentrating and making the mnemonic gesture invoking his biotic barrier. The blue aura enveloped his body, while the shots bounced off at full speed. He pushed the old man out of the path of the bullets and started shooting against his assailants as he got behind the coverage. The adrenaline was running rampant through his body. At one point he noticed that the load on his back was lightened. Turned to see the mature mercenary quickly disassembling his rifle at an incredible speed:

_- What are you doing?, Damn it, that´s not going to work! -_ he said trying to get up and shoot again. A new series of blasts made him stay in place.

_- Ja!, dream on kid! - _he said and ended up disassembling the sniper rifle. Suddenly the biometric protection preventing someone else from using that particular piece of equipment turned off, before the astonished gaze of its owner.

_- Damn it, how?... -_ he couldn´t finish his sentence because the old man jumped over him and rolled to another nearby coverage. Raised the gun and shot, using one of his arms to increase his accuracy, just in time to stop one of the human women, pointing with the rocket launcher.

To Kaidan, it was as if the action took place in slow motion. The rapid shot hit the gun body, damaging it and triggering an overload that caused the weapon to explode in the face of the unfortunate woman. The prevously-dying man had taken less than two seconds to aim and shoot.

_- Guevara!, damn you bastards! - _heard from the other side of the barrier and the barrage intensified.

A comm message startled him:

_- [They´re trying to flank us, intercepting the enemy. Captain Dante, fire at will] -_

Janice's voice was heard clear and calm, as if devoid of any emotion. That only made greater the contrast with the bloodcurdling scream of a Turian falling behind them, crashing into one of the supports of the parapet, with an excruciating crunch showing that his back was broken. Another cry and a man fell from the roof, his chest pierced by a large caliber energy weapon. He tried not to lose his concentration, although both yells had startled him. He jumped out of cover and fired at the remaining opponents. A biotic push propelled him back. Several shots bounced off of the biotic barrier, that finally relented. Had it not been for the shields of his armor, several bullets would have pierced his body. Heard a new sniper rifle shot and a new gasp. That old man was a real threat!.

_- Damn, all get inside the vehicle! -_shouted the leader of the mercenaries, seeing that his companion Persius (which he sent along with Richardson to secure the sniper positions) fell precipitously from the top floor of the building to his right, to decorate the floor with a shapeless, gigantic blue blood stain:

_- Use the flamethrowers! -_

Kaidan got up to see the vehicle, which had not participated in the previous actions, turning sharply and bringing its nose in front, two separate flamethrowers mounted on the bumper, spewing jets of fire over the parapet and stand where the two men were hiding. Just in time they managed to reach safety, the air heating beyond the boiling point in mere seconds:

_- Sons of bitches, I can also play with fire! -_ shouted his companion and took what looked like a grenade from his belt. He was ready to throw when the hand of Kaidan stopped him:

_- Wait for my signal! -_ said holding his hand firmly.

_- And who the fuck do you think you are to give me orders damn it? - _turned the mercenary with a scowling face.

_- The idiot who is risking his ass for you, old wretch! -_ shouted the Alliance soldier, undaunted.

_- I don´t need your fucking!... -_ said the merc realeasing his arm from the hand of Kaidan.

_- Launch now! -_

Kaidan stood up, just when the flamethrowers ended firing another surge and, gathering all the dark energy he was capable of conjuring, launched a ball of energy, oscillating between the purple and the purest black colors, right to the vehicle. The ball hit squarely on the front and caused a series of oscillations in the chassis that threatened to destroy the body. Zaeed threw the grenade right onto the hood, but staying away from the range of the mounted guns.

The bomb exploded a split second later, completely scorching the front and disabling one of the pitchers. A new burst of flame shot out, catching up Kaidan on the torso. The shields stopped much of the heating power of the shot, but the Sentinel still felt as if his body suddenly squeeze. A burning pain prompted him to throw himself back, as his reluctant partner threw another explosive to the chassis with little effect.

_- We need more firepower! -_ he barked at the communicator.

_- [I got it. Get away as much as you can] -_ Angelo Dante's voice came as a deadly whisper.

Not an easy thing because the transport was coming toward them at high speed. Zaeed reached to lift the young man and rushed over the railing of the parapet to the other side, falling a few meters and rising hastily, while the enemy was damaging the building. Kaidan turned to see as they ran, the dark blue silhouette of Captain Dante, standing in front of the enemy group without raising his weapon. The floating car rushed toward him and seemed to winch him. But before it could make contact, Angelo activated the actuators of the Cyclone armor, jumping at full strength to avoid it. While airborne he engaged the "Recluse" system which was part of every Cyclone´s regular weapons.

The "Recluse" was a rocket propelled grenade system, the result of nearly fifty years of research and testing of the RDF and the REF, in offensive anti-mecha weapons. Small short-range rockets guided effectively by laser or radar, to almost twenty centimeters of its designated target. The type of explosive loaded on them almost always was armor-piercing, but sometimes, as it was the occasion, they could be loaded with high-explosive charges. Two of them would be enough to reduce to unsalvageable scrap, a vehicle such as the one being piloted by their enemies. However the standard barrage of any Cyclone armor was six...

A compartment on the left chest of the armor opened, to make way for a group of small rockets, whose paths took some turns and twists, until they crashed into the carriage, amid the screams of terror of his crew. Angelo landed a few meters away from the charred remains of the guardhouse, while a fireball rose at his back. Kaidan and Zaeed were astonished. That kind of firepower in a personal armor was unthinkable in the Alliance. Angelo didn´t even bother turning to face the mess. Started walking toward them:

_- Stay away boy!. Whoever you are, one step further and í´ll make you a bloody hole in your forehead! -_ Zaeed said rising his guard and pointing the sniper rifle to the approaching giant soldier.

_- I'll take this -_ Janice said, appearing from behind and taking the rifle from the hands of the bounty hunter, with him uncapable of doing anything about it. The old mercenary offered no more resistance, tired as he was from such an effort.

_- I hope all this was worth Lieutenant Alenko... -_ Dante said, without hiding the disgust in his voice and turning to the Sentinel:

_- ... because you have just made our mission more difficult! -_

* * *

_Diplomatic Reception Hall of the Council Tower, The Citadel_

_Serpent Nebula, near the Widow star,_

_Sagittarius Galactic Arm_

Rick Hunter walked around the diplomatic room, passing through the hallways and tables that had enabled the meeting, following Captain Anderson through the nooks and crannies that the guests left to pass. Even a couple of times they had to stop to let other guests, who seemed not to notice their identity, to retreat and leave the way clear.

He went to the captain, when he mentioned that they should leave the reception hall. It was now past 2300 hours, time of the Citadel and he hadn´t seen the High Command of the fleet appear:

_- The Matriarch and the military leaders are in one of the adjoining rooms. Admiral Hackett and myself have offered to accompany you -_

_- I appreciate the gesture Captain. But I don´t think we need such formality. If you want to attend this informal meeting as my guest however, I would be happy... -_

A few seconds later they met with the other officer in an adjacent corridor of the tower. Admiral Hackett was apparently older than them, with a graying beard and a hard-to-ignore presence, that gave him a well-deserved air of authority:

_- Admiral Hunter. Matriarch Lidanya has expressed great curiosity about your person... -_ Admiral Hackett commented shaking hands with him and ignoring the formalities. He had become a celebrity since the advent of the SDF-3 at the Citadel, much to his regret:

_- ...it seems that the aliens are very impressed by what you did -_

_- I'd be impressed too if an alien ship, out of nowhere, was able to stop a fleet so powerful as the Citadel´s. In my universe it would´ve meant serious problems. It's interesting seeing how some aliens here are taking it very calmly -_ said Rick corresponding to the greeting.

_- It may look like it Admiral. But rest assured that the Council races are not sleeping well since their armed forces were evidenced in such an embarrasing way. I can bet one month of my salary, that the Salarians in particular have tried to infiltrate more than five times in your computer systems since you came... -_ Anderson commented, while he watched the nearings. People passed by and some guests showed their sympathy and deference to the Admirals.  
_  
- Yes... I have received reports of low level attempts of infiltration. Nothing that our computer defenses can´t repel so far - _commented the ex-pilot. He had got reports of hacking, more than four days ago. Since that time he had increased the security level of the ship in all respects. A communication curtain with a low-level artificial intelligence, which was responsible for sending radio messages, had been established, but critical or personal orders of a certain level of importance, were transmitted via ultra-line.

_- Do not lower your guard Admiral. One of the things we've learned when dealing with the Salarians in particular, is that they have a lot of experience gathering information, legal or illegallly... -_ added Hackett, pulling the little goatee adorning his face.

_- I understand ... thanks for the info. Do we proceed then? -_ asked the REF officer, but Anderson stopped him tapping his shoulder lightly:

_- I would suggest waiting a few more minutes Admiral. There's someone I want to introduce to you -  
_

They waited a few more minutes, discussing the events of recent days. Then Anderson saw one of the Matriarch´s assistants closing in, an Asari almost purple-skinned, with ceremonial marks on her forehead, in a dress that revealed her well-outlined silhouette, going by the name of Irsana. Surely she had orders to find out the reason for the delay:  
_  
- Captain Anderson: The Matriarch and her guests expect Admiral Hunter and his company. Why the delay? -_

_- Lady Irsana: We expect a final guest. I regret that this is delaying the meeting, but ... -_ Interrupted the captain, looking askance at the people who came to the reception.

_- I think we can go now! -_

Everyone turned toward the hall. Approaching through the crowd, which opened in turn to let him pass, was a robust man, manly features, dressed in the same dark blue with gold uniform of the Alliance, which seemed to conform perfectly to his body. The haircut to strict military style and air of command betrayed him...  
_  
- Commander Shepard of the Systems Alliance reporting. Admiral Hackett, Captain Anderson... -_

_- Commander Shepard will join us too?, This is unexpected, but it will be very attractive for the Matriarch! -_ The asari smiled, showing a perfect smile that had been the bane of several humans and aliens.

_- We´ll go in a minute Lady Irsana -_ Anderson ended and she excused herself, returning to the room where the others waited.

As she walked away, Rick observed the newcomer. He had heard some comments at the meeting about this character, and was sincerely intrigued. Knowing the newly-promoted, first human "Spectre", someone who was considered by the galactic community as "an example of the best that humans can offer", seemed like a nice touch to close the evening:  
_  
- Admiral Hunter, let me introduce Commander Locke Shepard, first human member of the Special Tactics and Reconassaince Group of the Citadel, hero of the Skyllian Blitz, captain of the SSV Normandy, and promise of the Alliance. Shepard: Admiral Hunter of the Robotech Expeditionary Force, new ally of the Council... - _Admiral Hackett said, with a touch of resentment in his voice that only became apparent in the latter part of the sentence.

_- Nice to meet you Commander Shepard. I have heard a lot about you in recent days, especially on part of Captain Anderson. He seems to have no more than praise for you -_ Rick said, friendly but unimpressed.

_- Thank you Admiral, although I must confess that not everything that is said about me is legit. Many of those are exaggerated constructions. Let me ask you... Does your military own the ship parked in orbit of the Citadel?. I admit I haven´t seen a human-constructed ship as big and impressive... - c_ommented Shepard. He was not very fond of social relations, but speaking with a member of the military was always easy for him.

_- Modesty is among the things I heard about you, and at least I can assure it's true. Yes Commander... the SDF-3 has been praised several times more than I see fit, even if its bad of me to say it. The group ahead of us, though, seems not too happy with its presence -_R ick commented in a mocking tone that made Hackett raise an eyebrow.

_- I read the situation reports, as soon as I arrived in the Citadel. It´s a great achievement, the one you and your troops have reached - _Shepard interrupted before the Admiral could comment further.

_- We were lucky Commander, that's all. On the other hand your own merits aren´t unknown. On behalf of the Expeditionary Force I must congratulate you for such a scope for humanity, despite the inconvenience of the circumstances in which it has been bestowed - _the former pilot said, shaking hands with Shepard, who nodded wordlessly.

_- Suddenly you get the political Admiral Hunter!... but I think that we, in the military i mean, have it as kind of second nature -_ Admiral Hackett said.

_- No thanks... I like most simple things like commanding a ship and confronting the enemy - _Anderson commented, a slight grimace on his face. Everyone laughed at the comment.

A few minutes later, they went into the adjoining room, where the High Command of the Citadel Fleet waited. The leaders were a group of Turians, Asari and Salarians that seemed halfway between anger, surprise and fun for the human presence. When both groups were in front of each other, everyone stood up:

_- Welcome everyone of you!, Admirals Hunter and Hackett, Captain Anderson... and Commander Shepard!. Without any doubt, the best humankind has to offer is gathered in this room -_ One asari stepped forward, dressed in a bright, ceremonial red and blue suit, made of a shining fabric such as silk and soft and pliable appearance like velvet:

_- I am Matriarch Lidanya, captain of the"Destiny Ascension" and Commander in Chief of the Citadel Fleet. Glad you have chosen to join us this evening -_

They watched the Asari approach to them and reach out to Rick, who observed her a moment and then grabbed her hand tightly:

_- It's an honor to meet the person who was able to hold off the fleet of the Council, including its most powerful ship - _she said with a calm tone. The underlying tension in humans decreased with the gesture.

_- It is also an honor for me to know the official able to go against her superiors and intercede for us Matriarch. Without you we wouldn´t be here -_ Rick was lost in the eyes of the alien.

There was a story of countless years reflected in her eyes, which spoke of a lot of fighting. However, they also had maturity and composure in them, and a strength that could be tested numerous times and always would be well rid. Radiated self-confidence but not arrogance, and inspired a large measure of devotion in those who remained by her side. A glimpse into her eyes and Rick knew he did well trusting her.

_- Im glad that things have not come again to have another shootout. I dread to think what a ship like yours, commanded by an officer as you, is capable of doing -_

_- Well Matriarch, our options were reduced at the time. It had been decided we were not to use our full strength. At the risk of sounding brash but, had it been so, more than half of us here including myself, would not have lived to tell -_

_- That's an exaggeration! -_One of the Turian captains jumped.

_- Yours was a single ship, while the Citadel Fleet numbers lies in more than five hundred units, plus other support fleets. How do you think you could have won? - _asked a Salarian equally outraged. Rumors began to rise in the living room and Hackett looked at Anderson with concern on his face.

_- Gentlemen ... -_ Rick cried, silencing the sound of the group in front of him _- I haven´t delluded myself about being able to win that battle. I could tell a thousand stories about the military prowess of the Expeditionary Force, but I prefer to say something about my ship, information the Council found out after having established relationships. We were operating at half our firepower -_

_- You're lying!, All that is nonsense! -_ came forward the same Turian. The Matriarch turned toward him and was about to intervene, but Rick stopped her and said quietly:

_- Our Synchro-cannons were not operational, and the Shadow device, which increases the electronic defenses of the SDF-3 wasn´t enabled at the moment. Our mobility was minimal and we had to rely on our fighters and gun emplacements to defend ourselves. And we lost several of them "disabling", not "destroying" your frigates. If the discharge of your weapons had come to overwhelm our defense system, the result would have been getting rid of the excess energy in an electromagnetic pulse hundreds of times larger than the one affecting your population at the time, with the consequent destruction of all the technology in a thousand kilometers radius. All those data are in the report that we offered the Council two days ago, if you care to verify the accuracy of my statements. Believe me when I say that if we had had any hostile intentions, this conversation wouldn´t have happened under any circumstances -_

Shepard peered the officers' reactions. There was doubt in some Turians, mixed in with hidden anger and frustration. The Salarians group was mostly amazed and curious, some more strongly fearful. The Asari didn´t seem distraught, but their eyes had looks of deep reflection and wonder. Some of them had paled shamelessly when they heard the Admiral. But none of them had remained unmoved by his words.

The Turian who had rebuked Rick, had paled in turn by those statements, but his anger was coming to the limit:

_- Cursed presumptuous man! -_ Took a step forward, raising his hands, as if to throw himself against Rick, but Shepard had seen his intentions and brought himself in front of him:

_- I think there are some people here for whom the concept of "civility" is not very clear -_ he said, standing between the perpetrator and his victim. He didn´t want to start a fight, but he would not remain indifferent to a provocation, to Alliance personal or otherwise.

_- Captain Asterius!, issue an immediate apologize and retire to your quarters until 1200 hours for personal assessment!. The simple fact that this man has bested you in battle should be more than enough to try and keep his honor and believe in his word. Also your behavior is shameful!. Were it for me I would have court-martialed you immediately! -_ The Asari commanded him to listen. All other attendees were silent when she spoke. Only the slow breathing of humans and the frantic anguish and helplessness of the Turian was perceived.

The commanding officer of the "Pride of Palaven" gulped and bowed his head, and subjected as he was to such public humiliation, said quietly:

_- I´m sorry Admiral... Excuse me... for my behavior... I have been misled by... frustration and anger -_

Rick felt the insult the warrior before him was facing, and said nothing. He just reached out to shake his paw in a gesture that the other aliens typically recognized as human. Asterius stared at him for a moment, stunned by what the human was doing. But then he accepted the offer.

_- Thanks - _and having said that, his face downcast, added:_- If you'll excuse me -_

No one stepped to stop him. When Asterius was gone, the Matriarch turned to the humans:  
_  
- I apologize for the behavior of my subordinate. Captain Asterius has taken "too seriously" as you humans say, the defeat of the fleet -_

_- I understand it Matriarch. I had hoped that our meeting had been in less contentious circumstances -_

_- Don´t grieve, Admiral. Your arrival was a shock necessary for many races in the Citadel. My complaint is that it would have been better an early arrival. Either way I thank the Goddess that you are here. Now if you don´t mind, I´d prefer to focus on the issue that brings us here -_

_- With pleasure -_ said Rick and the other men emulated. That was when the surprise of the evening was revealed.

_- We would like to you to join us for a round of a game of chance... I think you call it... Poker -_

The humans looked at each other, not believing what they were seeing. A card table full of alien officers, willing to play a card game as old as mankind.

_- Nothing like Poker to know your opponent -_ Admiral Hackett intervened and without another word came to the table.

_- This is not exactly what I had in mind when I read the term "healthy interespecies interaction" in my invitation card -_ Shepard commented, halfway between amusement and disbelief.

_- Me neither -_ added Rick equally baffled.

For an answer Anderson approached the table and asking for a hand of cards declared:  
_  
- Live and learn kids!, live and learn... -_

* * *

A. N: The VF-0 "Phoenix" is the VARIABLE FIGHTER depicted in "Macross Zero". As for this story, the VF-X-0 "Phoenix" is a VERITECH FIGHTER prototype intended for the role of aerial supremacy fighter, intended to be mass produced along the ofiginal VF-X (wich would become the VF-1 "Valkyrie" in both Macross and Robotech continuities), that never came to fruition, because of its highly expensive cost and little advantages when compared to the VF-1.

It would only be fair that with the technology the races of Mass Effect have developed, they would be able to convert the VF-X-0 into a viable fighter.

Next: A look to the stranged relation between the Sterlings and her daughter Dana. Kaidan Alenko´s memories from his past visit to Omega. Aria discovers the "Archangel"... and Miranda Lawson and Cerberus make their entrance.

Stay Tunned!_.  
_


	9. Interim 1: Black clouds over the horizon

Robotech and their characters are properties of Harmony Gold USA Inc., Mass Effect and their characters are properties of Bioware. There´s no economic remuneration gained from this story.

* * *

Okay boys and girls. I sure took a long time to write this up. But is because i was away from home for sometime. Anyway... credits!:

To: **Deathstalker7777, Hypervelocity Spartan 118, dwizzle, tcs-shadowwalker, AXL999, Thelordofstorms, FighterPlaneAce, Takeshi Yamato and TerrisH.**

Many thanks for favoring the story.

To:** X-Over**. Hope this story keeps you interested dude. Thanks for the alert.

To **Starfirecoon**: thanks for the review!.

Anyway, let´s get on with the show!.

* * *

**Interim part one:**

**Black clouds over the horizon.**

_SDF-3 "Pioneer", in orbit next to"The Citadel", _

_Serpent Nebula, near the Widow star_

_Sagittarius Galactic Arm _

Dana Sterling came into the spacious main deck of the scientific wing on the SDF-3, silently contemplating the experiments that were being carried out there, and watching the scientists and their assistants running all over the place, without even making the slightest attempt to become aware of her presence. It was a place that she didn´t like to visit often, memories of the endless tests that Lazlo Zand forced her to take, in order to explore and discover the secrets of the unique Human-Zentraedi hybrid of the Earth, rendering that possibility nonexistant.

Something good had come of it all though. Having known Terry Weston, one of his teachers at the now-destroyed Giles Academy, and the first man she was romantically involved with, was one of the few jewels she could name from a sad childhood, a subject nothing worth writing home.

She walked through the intricate corridors, room after room, watching and wondering the true scope of the info the Robotech Research Group gathered, while searching for a way to go back to their dimension. Much of the data obtained therein had improved the combat capabilities of the Expeditionary Force. Even on Earth, despite the significantly lower resources of the Tokyo Robotechnology Laboratory, where most of the equipment issued to the Southern Cross was created, weapons and veritech machines manufactured there had been significant during the war against the Robotech Masters.

She occupied her mind, registering the rooms where there was no staff, avoiding any contact that was to disturb her present and fragile mental state. She toured the many rooms and cubicles in the huge gallery, some of them decidedly empty, until she found what she wanted. One of the most cherished privileges of the pupils of Dr. Lang.

She entered the observatory ina calm, stealthy way. Except for the grunts assigned to take care of that section of the ship, it was uncommon to see soldiers in those places. Trying carefully of not disturbing the peace of the shelves adorning the walls, filled with digital copies of books and archives, whose originals had perished in the various wars of the Earth, she came to the center of the room, one with a giant oval observation window that dominated the view. At that time, the security curtains were in place and she couldn´t see outward. But that was not the main reason that Dana had come to that place, as soon as she finished her tour of duty on the delegation of the REF at the Citadel.

She walked a few steps, til reaching the front of a pedestal of a color as black and glossy as obsidian, whose body had frets and symbols illuminated by a pale blue light, outlining its contours and highlighting the touch controls embedded in it, as well as the stylized engraving on it, that read "CARAHS". It was a very tall cabinet, half as tall as she was, the structure rose a little above her waist. Around the stylish cabinet, were a couple of tables with coffee mugs and glasses, and all the periphery was surrounded by these utilitarian chairs that were the hallmark furniture of the ship.

The blond girl pressed one of the controls and the engine threw a flash from the top that surprised her for a moment. The lights in the room decreased their intensity and the cabin immediately projected a three-dimensional representation of the galaxy. There were several points marked in it, planets the ship had visited during its many years of struggling through the cosmos. _"Cartographic Active Holographic System. Please state the subject of search"_, was what appeared in an holographic label, sideways of the map.

She was tempted to shut the machine down and leave, but the anxiety about the images she wanted to see was just too much... suppressed her feelings and reassuring herself as much as she could, approached the map and looked for the main label:

Earth.

As soon touched the tagline, the system changed perspectives and immediately dove into that huge cluster of stars that made her feel more small and helpless than ever imagined. It soon broke into the first quadrant of the galaxy, right to the Local Spur, continuing the dive until she recognized a group of familial planets. It entered the picture a little more, until a blue body came to the fore. It looked like an old turquoise marble, whose body was streaked with white bands. Dana couldn´t remember seeing something more beautiful in her life...

_- "Earth. Third planet in the Sol planetary system, gravitational recluse of a type-G sequence and type-V luminosity star. Alternative designations such as Gaia or Terra, Earth is a geoid-type teluric planet, with five point ninety-seven billion kilograms of mass and a surface __of__ a__ppr__oximately five hundred ten million square kilometers, of which seventy-eight percent zero corresponds to water, while a twenty-nine point two percent is accounted as..." -_mentioned the system to the side of the map. Dana did a gesture pressing the panel and the explanation disappeared.

The room fell silent. Only the images of the home planet of humanity were left in front. The beauty of life teeming in these images was unknown to her, yet amazing. Not at all like the somber atmosphere of Tyrol, or the jungles or other equally strange ecosystems, she had seen on the planets of the Sentinels. The images in front of her, were the paradigm of what she considered essential to the place where she wanted to spend the rest of her life.

However, the blue sphere that appeared before, was not the one in which she grew up. The one of her childhood, was a huge desolated wasteland, where life was just beginning to return. It was the symbol of the failure of the Expeditionary Force. It was that celestial body that had suffered a second annihilation at the hands of the Robotech Masters, voiding all the effort the human leaders have done to prevent another tragedy.

It was the land of her father, in which many creatures were lost and became unrecoverable. Many more of them had their DNA stored in the special preservation unit the RDF had installed before the war, below the ancestral neutral territory of the Arctic continent. Returning Earth to the green stage that she bore before the First Robotech War was a titanic effort, however, that the United Earth Government was unwilling to carry out, more concerned about fighting over the world scraps with the remnants of the RDF after the Pioneer Expedition left.

The dispersal of the spores of the Flower of Life, in the twilight of the Second Robotech War had changed all that. The home planet had turned back into an Eden again, one even more impressive than the previous. Only for the Invid to come and take possession of it.

And now she didn´t stand a chance of seeing it again.

She could always console asking for leave to travel to this dimension´s Earth. While at the space station, she had seen the Extranet, that sort of galactic computer network that was part of the everyday-life of the citizens. She had reviewed there, the information about that apocryphal twin to the planet that was before her. It looked the same, had the same characteristics and their locations were similar to the pinnacle of detail. There were human beings living there...

But it was not her home.

Cursed her family for the umpteenth time, having started a quest that obviously had gone wrong. She couldn´t forgive them for having left her at the watchtower, where the storm struck furiously against it.

And above all and for her sole affliction, they had decided to have Maia. First time they met, she had scolded them for not having returned for ther, for not protecting her from the storm and, when it had roared to the fullest, giving birth to another daughter, to compensate for the one they lost. Found herself clenching her fists tightly. A torrent of emotions went through her head. They were her parents after all. She still had fond memories of her first ten years, when they were together. But things hadn´t been the same since they'd gone. Although Rolf Emerson took care of her and Bowie, as if they were his own children, it wasn´t the same. They couldn´t return to her life almost twenty years later and hug her and pamper her, pretending nothing had happened.

She was not about to allow it.

A tear ran down her cheek. She made no effort to hide it. No one was around to realize her terrible weakness. On the Army of the Southern Cross, such behavior would have earned her the ridicule and criticism from her superiors. But those days were behind. On the Expeditionary Force nobody gave a damn for what she did or didn´t about her personal life, as long as she did her job well. Realized that many of the oldest members had that look on their faces. They had the eyes of the soldiers who had already resigned because they know that debacle is waiting just around the corner. The vision of those who have seen death in many different ways. That gloomy affliction that pervades those who have survived too long on the battlefield.

Survivor´s guilt. The self-loathing for being better, stronger, faster... or more fortunate.

She punched a loud fist on a table nearby and did it again. A second and third time and her hand was bleeding already. The brownish-red, warm liquid began to bathe her hand. Mixed Zentraedi and Human blood. Years and years of trials, tests and analysis, and what had been the conclusion of the scientists?...

Nothing ... not the force of the Zentraedi warrior, nor the profound tenacity of Humanity.

She knew it, she was a silly girl. A confused kid who desperately wanted someone to hug her, but couldn´t get around her head to accept readily that she need help...

Raised her hand to hit the table again, but a hand stopped her. A warm, calloused hand, which brought back memories of other days:

_- If you keep pounding the table Fräulein Dana, you´re going to end up destroying it. And I´m afraid right now we are not in a position to ask for new furniture -_

Dana lifted her face. The bearded and serene portrait of Dr. Lang looked deeply and intently to her, as if trying to get into her head without saying a word. She struggled to free herself, recognizing the figure of the accomplice of her parents, another of the people who encouraged them to leave Earth. The old man didn´t give in however, holding her arm firmly. She applied more force, but the other didn´t let go. Was about to take violent actions, when her face fell, following something that caught her attention. She observed a trickle of blood staining the pristine sleeve of the scientist´s coat, making her realize the folly she was about to committ.

Calmed herself down and relaxed as much as she could. The man released her arm and walked over to one of the shelves, where he took a first-aid kit and brought it to her. A few minutes and some antiseptics later, her hand had been cured and bandaged lightly. The anger usually felt for all those who participated in her remote and misty past was gone, replaced by a profound grieve.

Had tried to get up unexpectedly, but a look of those unfathomable black eyes had held her in place, mesmerized. Neither said anything, but when the bandage was ready, she dared to launch a "Thank You" in a thread of voice that sounded ridiculous.

_- Think nothing of it girl. I am surprised however, that you wanted to come secretly to see the map. Had i known about this before, i would´ve managed a couple of hours just for you -_ the old man said, his tone of voice gentle.

_- I didn´t want to give you any trouble... -_ The girl couldn´t return to her normal voice tone.

_- It´s no trouble at all Dana. In fact it was starting to get to me that you didn´t come to the lab sooner. Since your father brought me the SPARTAS, I learned about your inquiries to find its whereabouts -_

The girl's face contorted into a grimace of anger. The anger that had submitted previously, stoked again. Yet she didn´t want to get all sentimental in front of an old man. She still had her pride after all, and wanted to keep it as much as possible. However something compelled her to speak up again:

_- Do you have my old tank? -_distilling the exact measure of anger.

_- Yes. It has become one of my favorite hobbies -_ that response was a surprise.

_- Hobbies? -_ she asked incredulously. Had the mastermind behind Robotechnology some free time for that?.

_- Yes, it's a side project to my more immediate inquiries. You see Dana: When you reach my age, the required hours of sleep are minimal, and sometimes it is better to have an activity to fill my empty time -_That alone explained many things about Dr. Lang...

_- Can I see it? - _asked the girl, unable to contain a note of excitement in her voice.

_- Of course -_

The man led her out of the observatory. They walked in a heavy and uncomfortable silence for several corridors, increasingly penetrating into the _sancta sanctorum_ of the scientific advisers, until they reached a sort of hangar. There, past a wind tunnel where several Alpha and Beta fighter prototypes were being tested, close to a 1 to 3 model scale of the new "Silverback" infantry vehicle, and then past behind piles of various circuits, servo-control modules and veritech prototypes unassembled, they arrived to the farthest side.

There, in a separate niche, surrounded by several people taking measurements, was Dana´s old hovertank. They disassembled the chassis and everyone could see the bowels of the robust and reliable machine. Dana put an expression halfway between surprise and disgust. As part of the ATAC, she only allowed Louis Nichols, who at his young age, was already a specialist of high trust, get dirty with its mechanisms. Seeing strangers doing resistance testing and verifying the particulars of its "workhorse", gave her the feeling of seeing an indignity and standing there, doing nothing about it.

_- Of all the things you brought with you in the "Marcus Antonius" undoubtedly the most amazing ones are the tanks. Engineers at the Tokyo division did a great job. Just between us, girl, I particularly prefer this design, which is robust and reliable, to the "Silverback" -_entrusted the German doctor, as he walked the perimeter of the car, admiring it.

_- "Yes..." -_ Dana thought, watching the scale model that, in Battleloid form, looked like a giant metal gorilla _- "When I first saw it, I thought it was one of those old toys with interchangeable parts..." -_

_- I must admit such a model has its advantages. Cyclone armor can share parts with the "Silverback", which gives it an unparalleled advantage. There´s no need to modify assembly lines, and we can use the same spare parts for both models... -_ The scientist stopped and sighed briefly _- ... but I never believed that producing such a class would be the solution to our military problems. So since your father told me about it, I wanted him to bring me this machine -_ he put his hand affectionately over the tank. Dana smiled at the gesture:

_- You could have both told me... Its sentimental value is incalculable, and even though, when I brought it with me, it was pretty shabby, I must admit that against the Invid it was effective enough to allow us to escape -_ the girl hugged the chassis of her old war-machine as a child embraces her favorite pet.

_- I'm afraid girl, those are the kind of subtleties that are lost to the chain of command - _the old German doctor rose from his shoulders _- I have always considered myself an independent investigator from the military, even in the days of RDF, and despite having the power to decide over many things, my reach is still limited... -_

_- Had you been in the Southern Cross, you would´ve hated General Leonard to death - _Dana smiled from ear to ear, remembering the bald and grumpy leader of the Army of the Southern Cross.

_- Ja... Anatole Leonard was already hideous since the time he worked for me, before the war with the Zentraedi, so I doubt that would have changed, for better or worse -_the old doctor smiled, his beard graying slightly concealing his laughter.

_- And what are you doing my old tank?. I see it... rather different -_ the girl took some pieces of the chassis, through the astonishment of some participants, for which a soldier as she had nothing to do in a place like that.

_- Let's see how perceptive you are ... Do you notice the differences? - _Questioned the old doctor, as he approached a nearby table, on which there were several parts and modules. In an adjacent tablet, deployed for everyone to see, were the deconstructed internal diagrams of the "SPARTAS" VH-2.

_- At first glance, I see it slightly... larger. The gun emplacements are being modified... and the engine seems to be disarmed, but I see circuitry and modules that I don´t recognize ... -_ Said the soldier as she saw the assistants of Dr. Lang testing and verifying the integrity of some of the parts.

_- Right... -_ he called her to the diagrams, highlighting on the tablet the central engine and batteries _- One of the things our new friends have provided to us is information on the physics of mass effect, which is what allows them to create and develop their vehicles and weapons... -_ invoked an image from the keyboard of the tablet and the outline of a reactor appeared _- ... It's common technology for almost all races of this universe and its foundations are well known here. Based on that, I have constructed several models of reactors with what they call zero element -_ a new movement of his hands and several photographs and technical data from the different reactors appeared.

_- The properties of this element zero or "eezo" are extremely interesting. By circulating an electric current through it, it can generate an electric field that decreases or increases mass without altering the atomic properties of the object in question... - _The tablet displayed images of the zero element's atomic model, followed by several flow charts and a rather giant equation_ - ...that way, the devices that are equipped with it are able to develop high speed (to the point of being faster than light, a feat that through other means would involve a flagrant violation of the laws of physics) and other advantages that are too long to describe in simple words... -_

_- I understand all of this is very interesting doctor, but how do you apply that to my old tank? -_ Dana said trying to suppress a yawn.

_- Ah... younglings... always the impatient things. Look... -_ Dr. Lang took her by the hand to find the battery that powered the gadget_ - ...I can combine the protoculture batteries that fit your vehicle to power a small mass effect reactor, which means that for practical purposes, while the battery works, the tank can have an unusual mobility... - _Dana turned to him, amazement in her face_- ...not to mention that I can mount more weapons and equipment in it, not directly impacting on weight. We can also do something for the enclosed cabin that old model was designed to have. We can even change the passenger capacity of the vehicle! -_

_- Are you kidding me? -_ The girl couldn´t believe the smile of triumph painted on the face of the old man.

_- No. Lowering the weight of the chassis and everything mounted in it, to almost zero, the only thing that would limit the speed are external factors to it, ie the weight of the rider and possibly a group of companions, in addition to the aerodynamics of the model (which are very good I must say), and reactor performance... -_ The old German revised the diagrams showing the vehicle _- ...of course we should also improve the performance of the machine and adjust some mechanisms that work because of weight, but generally speaking, it can give a number of substantial advantages -_

_- Incredible! -_Dana's face was full of emotion.

_- Yes... and I´m going to need a test pilot. Preferably someone who is familiar with the handling and the subtleties of this machine -_ a grin from the creator of the Robotechnology was not something often seen. And it was something the daughter of Sterling appreciated.

_- I think I know the right person for that -_ she said, outlining the same grin from ear to ear _- When can we start? -_

_- Tomorrow -_was the sudden response.

_- Tomorrow?, you said you have to make some substantial changes to... -_ Dana said, then stopped suddenly. The glint in the eyes of Dr. Lang told her that once he had set himself a target, the guy was going to sleep very little or almost nothing, to fulfill his goal.

_- Alright... tomorrow I´ll be here - _the situation had taken an unreal turn, but she wasn´t bothered at all.

_- Okay... and Dana?... -_ The old man had wandered a bit, locked in the vehicle's controls.

_- Yes Dr. Lang? -_

_- Please don´t tell your father or the Admiral about this. At the right time, I will give them the news - _the comment came, muttered by a tangle of wires.

_- Okay Herr Doktor! - _she said excitedly, as her little inner girl couldn´t wait to run to tell everyone.

Dana Sterling excused herself and turned, starting to walk towards the edge of the Science deck. Everything looked the same on her mood, and yet when she passed by a glass mirror and looked at herself, she could see something different.

A smile. One that had not been reflected on her face for many years...

* * *

_Alliance, Embassy, The Citadel..._

White walls of metal panels, uneasy glances among the soldiers of the staff, upset by the presence of those other humans who wore the blue insignia of the security corps of the Citadel. Hundreds of human and alien faces, full of curiosity and wonder, standing outside the gates of the new Office of Cultural Affairs of the REF, which was inaugurated that same day. Six hours on the job of being the watchdog of the facilities and Miriya Sterling was beginning to show signs of weariness. She kept it at bay by inspecting the different angles of the gigantic hall befitted for them, until the Council´s engineers assigned them a place not being constantly remodeled by those enigmatic insectoid aliens that everyone knew as "the Keepers".

She had carefully inspected every corner of the place, veryfing security of the place to the smallest detail. A couple of days after the official diplomatic reception, she became responsible for reviewing the facilities provided by Systems Alliance, as the temporary headquarters of the new embassy. Inputs and outputs were reviewed, security protocols were established and the place had been searched for microphones, cameras or other unwanted spyware tools. It wasn´t the kind of work she was used to, but she had learned a lot joining the humans, just before the defeat of the Zentraedi fleet. Had given her approval to the facility hours later and verified that the furniture should also be reviewed. A third check later, and the result was clear. However, despite having agreed to remain as head of the custodians of the facilities, rather than returning to the SDF-3, she was umcomfortable.

To top it all, she necessarily had to be present, even when not on a military plan. Being the only "pure" Zentraedi in this universe, her presence was necessary. She had heard the comments from some residents of the space station:

_- If she´s just as human as the rest of us! -_

Her gesture of annoyance was more than evident. Afterwards, Lisa Hayes had proceeded to tell a little of the history of the Robotech Wars to clarify the similarity between the Zentraedi and humans. After hearing the same comment more than three times however, the situation had lost its charm and revealed itself for what it was. A veiled way of saying: _"What makes you so special, if you are so like us?"_.

She didn´t want to get into controversy. It wasn´t her duty in fact. But secretly she felt offended by the mental shortsightedness of the residents of the Citadel. She recalled how the officers and scientists of the Robotech Defense Force had treated her for having been part of the enemy. A lifetime of being considered a weirdo reminded her that she should not make too much of stupid comments.

By 1000 hours of the Citadel, they had at least two-hundred people waiting in the lobby of the hall of the embassies (to the astonishment of the Asari receptionist who handled the flow of people). Ambassador Udina had raised an eyebrow when he noticed the crowds in front of the building, and said under his breath (but not enough for Miriya not to hear), that although the presence of the foreigners had suddenly awakened a new interest for humanity, this agglomeration could pose a security risk. Such hypocrisy had not gone unnoticed in the mind of the Meltran, because the inflow to the Embassy of the Alliance had also increased significantly as a result. Even if it only was to compare the working methods of both offices.

Immediately decided that she didn´t like the politician at all.

In any case, it had been a difficult day. Much of what the audience was looking for, was how to proceed to achieve the compensation for the incident EM pulse proposed by the REF, (and even some of those citizens came to decry Lisa and confront her and the guards assigned by C-Sec to increase security). Others sought ways of making easy credits, and some others mentioned wanting to apply for the space forces, claiming excitedly how their ship and technology, could give a lesson to the Batarians and other potential enemies of Humanity.

(The latter motivated a certain sector of the settlers who were not members of the Alliance, passing through the space station. Miriya kept in mind the image of Lisa taking thorough notes of it).

Also the aliens had come. The Turians did so with a certain resentment, thinking of finding out about the traditions of war of the new humans. The Elcor and Volus had also attracted her attention. The Elcor, due to their natural sympathy, which had won them the approval of many other beings. The Volus hadn´t been so well however. Many exhibited unfriendly behaviors and it wasn´t helpful in any way the fact that their pressure suits would give them the appearance of mechanized teddy bears, without a hint of hair. Even the Krogan, who looked upon humans as wondering what was the secret of that race, apparently so fragile, to contain the forces of the galaxy, had been less hostile.

But the jewel in the crown were the Quarians. Sheathed in their isolation suits, and viewed by the rest of the people as outcasts and thieves, the three-fingered aliens were greatly astonished by the arrival of the SDF-3. They had seen the technology deployed by the REF, and several came on his own to the embassy, requesting to have a chat with the ambassador. Lisa, aware of their status of "personae non gratae" on Citadel space, had chatted with several of them, to general indignation, and had discovered about their particular circumstances. The information the Council had provided about them was terse to the point of the suspecion, but that didn´t prevent the ex-admiral realize the possibilities in relations with those aliens.

Miriya saw several of them coming out of the office, very excited and happy to find people who bore no grudge against them based on prejudices.

Several hours later, it was about closing time. After carrying out security procedures and checking the premises again, she returned to her cubicle to write an activity report. Lisa had said they would not return to the SDF-3 for the moment, taking accommodations as a group, on a building designed for special guests by the Council. The change of scenery was a novelty, and she didn´t feel particularly eager to return to her comfortable, if a little claustrophobic room on the ship:

_- Ambassador Hayes, Architect Horath has come to show you the plans for the new building -_ heard Lisa's personal assistant from the back of the office, while giving a last look at the staff reports.

_- Alright Virginia. Tell him I'll see him in a few minutes - _said her friend and, sticking her head out of her place, saw her rise from the desk, addressing her.

_- Everything in order?... - _The mature woman took up residence in front of her.

_- Yes. To be our first day, we are relatively unscathed - _Miriya answered professionally, but abated by the interaction with the audience she had to show.

_- And we still have a little more, old friend. We must receive the salarian and verify the drawings of the Rehabilitation Center -_

_- Yes ... you know, sometimes I envy Max and Rick ... always playing the easy things -_

Lisa smiled. "The easy things" her friend talked about, were maintaining order and discipline on a ship in which ninety percent of the population, of nearly five thousand soldiers, was eager to get down to the space station and experiment on his account, the wonder of a new universe. She sensed the boys would need the feminine touch from time to time to keep the waters still, but she was not about to ruin the surprise of them having to realize it.

_- I agree... just remember that everything we're doing is going to be necessary in some way for us to win the trust of these aliens... -_ she said, looking out the window at the eople strolling casually across the square adjacent to the vicinity of the Embassy _- ...and if we want to increase the chances of returning home -_

_- True... although I'm not worried about it, Lisa. As a Zentraedi, I got used to travel from one side to another, always living in space stations and battleships. Even as I settled on Earth with Max, I felt more comfortable in the cockpit of a fighter, flying in space -_ she said, with determined countenance.

Lisa smiled. That was so typical Miriya...

_- I wish everyone thought like you, my friend. But then again, we can talk about it later. The architect is waiting -_

On that voice, both women went to the main meeting room, where the architect, whose salarian amphibian features read a rictus of superiority, and his assistant, a human girl with black hair, whose enviable figure would be better in some runway or used in any modeling agency, waited. They rose when both women entered:

_- Ambassador Hayes, Commander Sterling: A pleasure to meet you. I am Second Architect Horath Lisanis, and this is my provisional assistant, Miss Circe Stilwell... -_the alien gestured to the brunette beside him.

The young woman had long, slightly wavy hair. Was wearing a full white and light blue suit that, without being too revealing, left no doubt of its powerful appeal. She reached out to shake the two women´s . When it was Miriya turn, the Meltran delayed the greeting a second too long, watching the face of the girl.

There was something about the way she looked, moved and even breathed. She seemed secure, but also calculating and analytical. Her gaze was intense, but in a very subtle way. Her face spoke about a degree of perfection, very close to what humans considered "ideal". Everything in her had an air of studied, artificial, which was hidden under an overwhelming presence. Beside her the salarian seemed small, dull and gray.

Her Meltran companions came to her head in an instant. Since they were all clones, it was sought to instill in them desirable characteristics for war. "Beauty" was not one of those, except on the rare occasions where the enemy revealed their appeal as a powerful distraction for their combat capabilities. It was the only way that quality had been preserved in them. When she began living with Max and the other humans however, she realized that those green eyes, her hair straight and long, and that face that looked back to her perfectly outlined in the mirror every morning, were traits that made her pleasant. The characteristic "beauty", which on Zentraedi lifestyle was just a weapon, with the inhabitants of Earth acquired virtue and quality of intrinsic interest.

She applied those lessons to her interlocutor and noticed that her movements were fine and suggestive, in order to arouse curiosity and the attraction of the male audiences and the envy of the ones of her own sex. The way she stood however, and casually directed her gaze to local strategic points, spoke tons of someone who had received military training, and knew how to hide it to unexpected levels. These gestures, combined with her graceful appearance, became the perfect weapons with which she faced the world on her own terms.

This little woman in front of her could be everything but an architect's dull assistant...

_- So they´re beginning to spy on us eh?..." -_ she thought while hidding her surprise with a quick smile, showing off the ways she had learned on her stay on Earth. Lisa had to learn about this, but if she had correctly assessed the situation, the girl was not an immediate threat, so she decided to comment it after they finished.

The alien began his presentation by giving an order to Circe, who in turn pushed some buttons on her omnitool and showed several pictures of possible areas and projects where ithe Center for Advanced Medicine and Rehabilitation of the REF could be settled. Lisa watched and asked questions, taking notes on the datapad she had brought. Miriya remained observant, reviewing the data. Lisa asked for an arrangement that called for taking some prominent features of the various models that the architect had shown them.

After the meeting, he mentioned:

_- Okay, now that that is out of the way, I'll get you my first project in a couple of days. My assistant will make a return visit. She will be responsible to provide adequate follow-up to this issue -_

_- We wíll be expecting to hear from you -_ Lisa said, rising and shaking hands with their partners again, implying that the meeting was over.

When both strangers left the office, Lisa turned around to see her partner. Miriya gave her a look, confirming the suspicions that her friend was not saying:

_- I feel like when I was fifteen -_ the brown-headed said, watching through the window, at the woman and the salarian moving away from the building of the Embassy.

_- I didn´t know you liked being the center of attention, but I understand it. Sure it's hard not to think that there are hundreds of eyes aware of what we are doing - _the Meltran smiled, checking the places where the assistant had stopped and the seat where she sat. In a couple of them had appeared a kind of circular discs, which clearly seemed like microphones.

_- We will have to keep an eye on Miss Stillwell when she reappears here -_ Lisa said when Miriya showed her one of the devices, launching it to the air and recovering it with a fast movement of her hand.

_- We can start by making inquiries about her. I had time at the party a few days ago, to make friends with some interesting people, and I think I am in an excellent position to ask them to investigate. Many are now seeking the favor of the Expeditionary Force, and I think they can be helpful as we establish our own information network... -_ She dropped one of the devices and crushed it with the heel of her boot.

_- Okay, but make it discreet. People at the Council are nervous because we altered the usual balance of power, and we shouldn´t encourage them think that our goal is to foster rebellion. That said, you have carte blanche to make the decisions that are right for the security of this embassy... -_ Lisa rescued the other disk and put it in one of the bags of her clothes _- ...Let´s take this to the intelligence spooks and see if they can make heads or tails of it -_

_- Well ... You know, I think that very interesting days are approaching... -_The alien woman smiled as she approached the room's balcony and watched concealed to the Presidium. Few residents noticed her presence.

_- I hope they´re not that interesting. Personally I do want to go home -_ she heard the voice of the ambassador behind her, in an ominous tone that seemed to bode not too well...

* * *

Circe Stilwell left the salarian architect, having received specific instructions about her pendings for the week, until the incumbent returned to activity. She walked back to her apartment, her body swaying aggressively and making the concurrence of the Wards fantasize in their minds about high-flying erotic dreams, involving the attractive woman in ways decidedly unpleasant and even humiliating. All of this continued without interruption as she watched their faces, feeling secretly pleased, till she came to a neglected house in a unattractive neighborhood.

Crossing the threshold of the safe house, her expression changed. The strong "femme fatale" who enjoyed teasing men and aliens with their blatant sex appeal and one which had travelled several kilometers from the Tayseri Ward, sorrounded by blatant leering, had disappeared. Instead, a stolid officer of Cerberus, with a cold expresion but brimming with inner confidence, had entered the room. Following a methodical behavior to the point of being almost robotic, approached the old desk that furnished one of the rooms of the small house and taking the chair that matched the furniture, sat on it.

Clicked a couple of things on the holographic screen her omnitool deployed, and it suddenly allowed her to see the status of the three mics that had been placed. She had to admit the alien woman who accompanied the ambassador of the Expeditionary Force could be anything but easy to fool. She could see through her gestures of distraction as if they were simple tests. In addition, her ways were those of a military man with many years of experience. If the indication of "failure to communicate", which displayed the status of the devices, said something important, it was that she had found and disabled two of them.

Her omnitool issued a warning of an incoming encrypted priority-transmission. Miranda nodded and the image of his boss appeared in reduced form in front of her.

The Illusive Man was standing with his back to the camera, silhouetted against the grand backdrop of a star in full swing, that was so muh of his liking. His ubiquitous cigar lay in his right hand. When communication became established, she saw him coming toward the camera. The exquisitely fine suit, tailored with impeccable taste, graced the well-preserved body of an elderly man with gray hair and perfectly cut hair. But instead of the sublime taste in dress or physical appearance beyond reproach, what never failed to draw the attention of the young woman, were those piercing-blue "steeled" eyes that, at first glance, did little to conceal their nature as visual prosthetics. Every time she dived into those mesmerizing eyes, a shiver went through her body, one she had learned to suppress, as she was working frequently with the best informed being of the galaxy (rivaling on its own right with the Shadow Broker).

She smiled slyly. But what could have been interpreted as a sign of derision, was even to the Illusive Man. A long drag from his cigarette and the sound of his delicate exhaling, and she knew that the call from his boss was not complimentary:

_- [How was your "visit" to the Expeditionary Force, Miranda?] -_ Asked the cyber-eyed one, fixing his icy stare on her, with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

_- Revealing. Without appearing too much, these aliens are much more than what is said about them -_Miranda Lawson was not intimidated. She was used in this duel of wills, that was the daily contact with his superior.

_- [Something we already knew... What about the microphones?] - _The man asked calmly, as he stood up and took a glass with a pale, ocher-colored drink, in which floated a couple of ice cubes.

_"Cask-strenght, Malted barley-distilled Scotch, aged over twenty years in the cellars of a famous distillery in Scotland"_, Miranda thought. _"Not in Nova Scotia, or Terra Glasgow, nor New Edinburgh. Only in the old Alba, located on Earth". _Each milliliter of the beverage, she believed, would be worth a fortune in The Citadel (not to mention what some moguls from Omega or the Terminus Systems would pay for such liquor). The Illusive Man was bordering on the eccentric tastes (not to say they were more typical of a millionaire with strange habits).

However, his work for Humanity demanded costs several orders of magnitude greater, so that, in comparison, he deciding to scald the tongue with expensive alcohol was at worst, a harmless extravagance.

She took a moment and replied:  
_  
- They found the decoys. The main one however, is transmitting smoothly -_

A condescending smile. She didn´t mind these gestures, but did made her wonder how much was passing through his head:  
_  
- [Not entirely unexpected ... but no less interesting. Will they remember you the next time you see them?] - _A short cigarette drag.

_- I can tell. That Miriya alien is very insightful. It could be a problem if we reveal too much about us -_ the woman said. She remembered the look that the soldier woman had thrown her, as if she could see beneath her disguise.

Miranda Lawson, the perfect woman, self-confident, able to play with men at will and subject them to their whims, which no one could make nervous... had a nagging feeling, a tingling unlike her, going up from her stomach tho her mouth when their eyes met.

And she didn´t like it at all.  
_  
- [No Miranda. If what we know abpuit her is true, she´ll do the impossible to protect her human allies. She has many more things in common with the human race, than the members of the Council will ever have. And that makes her a "natural" ally... ] - _The one who pulled the strings explained without losing patience. Sometimes he understood Miranda could be a little apprehensive, but she would learn with time, that his plans were formulated for a win-win situation...

_- I hope all of this is worthwhile. I like where the plan is taking us, but I don´t think Turnick is a suitable replacement for me in the infiltration operation... - _Lawson counterattacked. The Illusive Man was unfazed.

_- [You both have your qualities, and I must mention that Turnick is in any case, disposable. If she does the trick, she would have done more for our cause in a few hours than all the military division of Cerberus has done for the movement in almost thirty years. Grieve not Miranda..., anyway, Skye Turnick is a loose end to be tied shortly. Moreover, it is necessary an operational experience in subterfuge for the next part, and you can perform that task in a better way] -_

That would keep her focused. If Miranda kept his attention focused on the plan, then things would go without a hitch.

_- Okay... what about Shepard? -_

Another long drag on his cigarette, followed by a sip of the ocher drink. If the Illusive Man was a hedonist, it was a truly accomplished one.

_- [At the moment the Commander is stranded at the Citadel, thanks to the ineptitude and political fear of both Council and Alliance. Knowing him however, that may soon change. Stay tuned. Such a man is hard to anticipate, but I hope you can keep an eye on him] -_ the subject with the fine suit came out of the camera range, a sign that communication was over.

Miranda Lawson didn´t say anything. Just cut off the transmission and sat on the desk, reviewing the intelligence data that Cerberus was able to gather about the "newcomers". In separate files, was the info they were able to piece on such short notice, about Rick Hunter, Lisa Hayes-Hunter, Max and Miriya Sterling and Dr. Lang. The "red circle" of the Expeditionary Force was there, profiled the best they could. The intelligence, however, was still very brief and Miranda had to make corrections and comments according to her field experience.

Perhaps the data was insufficient to make a risky move, but she had planted the microphone in his office and that was a start. And if the plans of the Illusive Man developed as conceived (and Miranda didn´t remember a time when the guy was proven wrong), in a few days they could be forging a deal with the more powerful allies Humanity could have.

God knew that if what Shepard had found out about the Reapers was true, they would need every ounce of that help!...

And then a little bit more.

* * *

Anyway, next time (hopefully in one or two weeks), second part of the interim triptic.

You know the drill boys!, read and review!

Seeya!


	10. Interim 2: Shadows of the past

Robotech and their characters are properties of Harmony Gold USA Inc., Mass Effect and their characters are properties of Bioware. There´s no economic remuneration gained from this story.

* * *

I´m back! (after taking a while, sure). Here´s the second interim, but first credits:

To: **darkfinder, atsik101, Pthor, Guner9, DMPug, vohlm**, and **Zexs**, for favoring or alerting this story.

Special thanks to **darkfinder** for his enthusiam whern it comes to reviewing (no, I mean it completely buddy!, no other has left a review (even if its a short one), for the entirety of the chapters. Iappreciate it really!).

To **angelus288**: I haven´t forgotten about your request, it´s just that i haven´t had enough time to write, but I can safely say I still have it present. Look for it on the next chapter!.

To **ShadowCub:** Yes, the galaxy is full of piranha and greedy bastards... but that´s the funny thing. It happens all the time in real life, and yet we persist and survive as a species (even if its doubtful, you might say), so maybe we´re not doing things that badly (or we have yet to find our own demise by behaving that way). Anyway, as long as it´s fun and you keep reading, i´ll continue writing...

On to the fray!.

* * *

**Interim part 2:**

**Shadows of the past.**

_Districts of Omega  
Terminus Systems,  
Norma Galactic Arm_

"Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko, Second Division, Fourteenth Regiment, Alliance Marine Corps, stationed on the SSV Normandy, on a special mission under Commander Locke Shepard, first human Spectre, status: Killed in Action..."

Alenko was a little surprised. That description, which had hovered on his head during the last hour seemed to say very little about him.

"Rescued from an ignominious death by a most strange combo of humans and aliens, and forced to cooperate to retrieve valuable information from the most dangerous antrum of the galaxy". That did seem to describe his situation in a better way.

At what time he had strayed, from the reality of misery and filth around him, to the glamorous (and false) description of his persona the media on Citadel space would make, was something he was not sure about. There was much (maybe too much in his honest opinion) of unreal about everything that was happening to him. And now, being in platform twenty-five of the habitable levels of Omega, was the icing on the cake.

His mind wandered to the scene that had taken place around thirty minutes ago, after having repelled the attack of the Blue Suns´ patrol:

* * *

_- Stay away boy!. Whoever you are, one step further and í´ll make you a bloody hole in your forehead! - _Zaeed said rising his guard and pointing the sniper rifle to the approaching giant soldier.

_- I'll take that - _Janice said, appearing from behind and taking the rifle from the hands of the bounty hunter, with him incapable of doing anything about it. The old mercenary offered no more resistance, tired as he was from such an effort.

_- I hope this was worth Lieutenant Alenko... - _Dante said, without hiding the disgust in his voice and turning to the Sentinel -_ ... because you have just made our mission more difficult! -_

_- Enough, Captain Dante!. As far as I´m concerned, worrying about such things concerns only to me, so keep your anger leashed. We have a mission to accomplish and we are nowhere near that point. Calm down or I'll see to it that you face a harsh reprimand once we return to the Archangel, are we clear? - _The girl faced him defiantly.

The imposing man gave him a look that could sublimate oil, but the purple-haired ignored it.  
_  
- Are we clear? - _She said stepping towards him. It was noticeable, the difference in heights and equipment between them. But that was not a deterrent. Dante gritted his teeth and was about to say something, but thought better of it and backed off.

_- Just try that this idiot here... - _Looked at Kaidan, who adopted an indignant gesture_- ...don´t get us in trouble again -_

As unlikely as it seemed to the young lieutenant, the gigantic Dante retreated. It was hard to understand how a small girl, frail in appearance, and a civilian, could put a full-fledged soldier such as the other, in retreat. It was one of the many mysteries of Janice, in which he didn´t want to delve.  
_  
- At least the old man knows how to handle a gun... - _mumbled the captain, as if his antagonistic position had been a thing of the past, while taking a few steps away from the group to reassume his position as a scout.

_- Fuck you son!, I at least I have the decency to identify myself to the bastard I'm about to kill! -_

The old man stood up to face him. Janice came between them.

_- Let recriminations for later. I agree on something, though. I'm Janice Em, and these are my companions, Captain Angelo Dante and Lt. Kaidan Alenko -_ she said approaching the old man and tossing him an energy bar:

_-__ Your__ body seem to have recovered well from your wounds. It must be the combined effect of medigel with the nanomachines we injected you with. Other than that, you must be hungry -_

Zaeed grabbed the bar on the fly, halfway between being insulted and surprised, trying to identify the contents. He opened it quickly and looked at some kind of cookie with filling, sniffing suspiciously. He remained undecided whether to eat what the woman had offered him, or throw it right away. His snarling guts however, forced him to take sides. The first bite collapsed all other possible objections:

_- Hmm!... Ah shit! -_ said the mercenary tasting the food and struggling not to choke on it -_ Okay!. But you won´t get anything on me. What group are you on?. You´re certainly not of the Blood Pack, unless fucking Krogans had changed their appeareance overnight. Too many toys... - _Drew his gaze to Dante and his armor _- Are you Eclipse? -_

_- No. We are part of the Robotech Expeditionary Force. I doubt you have heard of us -_Janice said, smiling.

_- Gal, when you've been in business so long as I do, you learn many things that others don´t... -_ The girl squinted, in a very human gesture _- ... but you're right. I've never heard of ya -_

_- Aha... Lt. Alenko actually belongs in the Systems Alliance... -_Dante said, provoking an outburst of the mercenary.

_- Shhhh!... lower your voice -_ said whispering and looking askance at their surroundings _- The sons of bitches around here don´t like the Alliance types. A public complaint and you can consider yourselves dead. I myself am at risk by standing next to you -_

Kaidan knew what the old man was referring to. The last time he had been there, belonging to the Alliance had been the cause of their problems.

_- He's right ... -_He said, but the other voice is heard more loudly.

_- Zaeed... Zaeed Massani!... -_there was anger in that comment. Kaidan turned to see him, surprised:

_- Excuse me? -_he asked.

_- The name´s Zaeed Massani!. Just so you know, disrespectful kid! -_The mercenary faced him, his eyes jumping sparks.

_- Look who´s talking about respect, old man. If it weren´t for us right now you'd be dead!. Show yourself the least a bit grateful! -_ Kaidan didn´t hold back, the commentary denting even more the mood of the mercenary.

_- I never asked for your help insolent lad!, as far as I'm concerned, you could have been collateral damage only! -_he said without showing the slightest remorse. A mocking laugh came from behind them. Dante was undoubtedly enjoying himself a lot.

Alenko came ready to face him, but Janice put a firm hand on his shoulder.

_- We don´t need this... -_ she stopped him until she took something out of the pockets of her armor _- Mr. Massani, we want to find the info we´ve come looking for, and withdraw as soon as possible. You are a mercenary, that much I have clear. How well do you know this place? -_asked the apocryphal woman, pointing to the surroundings, where very few people were walking nearby.

_- Damn right I am, sweetheart!. First: I'm the best bounty-hunter this galaxy has seen in over thirty years!. Second: I know this fucking rat hole better than the palm of my hand!, little of the scum around here can say the same! -_he commented, showing off like a teenager. None of them had seen such an amount of ego gathered in one man.

_- The "old man" doesn´t lack any confidence, I see -_again mumbled Dante. Alenko smiled to himself.

_- I have a business for you -_said the girl and the mercenary's face hardened.

_- I don´t take spontaneous jobs, but i can work under a contract -_he put himself on guard. It was very fresh in his mind, the fact that his last "job" almost killed him.

_- There´s no time for a contract, but this should serve as sufficient guarantee -_

Janice threw a pair of objects, the old mercenary catching them out of instinct. Only when he saw one of them in his hand, he marveled. Two big red diamonds, as he had rarely seen in his life. The mercenary whistled and said:

_- They could kill you for this!... Where did you get this girl? -_

_- Irrelevant. Do I have your attention or not? -_ Asked the gynoid in a tone that made clear she would not tolerate more crap of any kind.

_- Damned yes, who do I have to kill? - _Zaeed enlisted his fists, sporting a smile from ear to ear.

_- None at the moment... We are looking for an information dealer. A salarian working here in Omega: Rankar Haalaka -_ Kaidan said, intervening. The hacker would be sufficiently known to a guy like Zaeed, for him to have been heard of at least once.

_- Talk to your contacts and take us to him and there will be several more of those to contribute to your retirement fund -_ Janice ended. Zaeed said nothing.

The hit-man was impressed. This girl was offering jewels that were a rarity in many parts of the galaxy. And all of it to find a particular contact of his. The same one who had arranged his "fatal" meeting with the Blue Suns:

_- You can keep them -_ he said with a grimace of mischief, that made his deformed facial features more horrible than they already were_– The boy... -_

_- Kaidan... Kaidan Alenko -_ the Alliance soldier returned the "courtesy" with the same coldness. The old man forced a smile:

_- That Alenko lad said I should show some gratitude. In some other circumstances that would have merited a couple of shots of "Jessie"... - _Raised his assault rifle_ - ... on the forehead. But this is a strange situation, damn it yes!, so for me not to look as a bastard or ungrateful, take this service is a courtesy. That motherfucker Rankar has many questions to answer, and he will learn the hard way, not to betray me to the Blue Suns! -_

* * *

According to the mercenary, they were near the place where his contact resided. They had been through some checkpoints and several sectors controlled by mercenary groups. Zaeed had procured garments for them (or rather they had been mercilessly stolen from some citizens). Dante had followed them, moving above the ceilings to evade security. Janice lost no detail of the different-looking aliens. The Krogans, Turians and Asari, who composed much of the population, called her attention powerfully.

A couple of times they were stopped by another militia to be inspected. They came heavily armed, without any distinctives on their clothing, but a couple of words of Zaeed and some bribes and nobody made any more questions than the necessary. In the hostile environment of Omega, hooded figures with little desire to call attention were almost always the norm.

They entered a neighborhood more guarded than the rest. Elements of the three main "security corporations" of Omega, guarding the place. When Janice asked, the bounty-hunter said that it was one of the privileged neighborhoods, citizens ready and willing to pay for their protection. The Sentinel saw several security drones and some Hahne-Kedar´s humanoid robots on every corner. Without looking too threatening, their appearance hid a deadly array of weapons ready for use. Security was high and the robot girl recommended Dante to stay away from the site, and serve as watchman, while they were to have a "chat" with their contact.

They walked through narrow and guarded streets until there, in a three-story building, stacked near others of the same height, they stopped:

_- These are the warehouses of "Saluva Interstellar", a company specializing in trade of "convenience articles", with branches on Illium and Omega... -_ Massani gestured some quotation marks with his fingers _- ... but it is also a front for the work of Rankar. You... -_ Drew a hand to his peers _- Go with the receptionist and tell her we come under orders from Lavinia, from Nos Astra, to make a payment for a work that she commissioned -_

_- What the hell does that mean? -_Alenko wondered. The old man just put his hand to his face, showing his lack of patience.

_- Just do it! -_ muttered _- That should let us pass without problems! -_

Janice said nothing and started walking, with Kaidan following her very closely. Zaeed only monitored, prudently keeping himself at a distance. When they were in front of the receptionist, a quarian which Janice had not lost sight of for a second, the young man began:

_- We come on behalf of Lavinia, of Nos Astra. There is a debt to be settled with Mr. Haalaka -_he also drew a hand to Zaeed.

The quarian drew a glance to them, from head to toe, and typed a few things in her holographic display. The voice synthesizer from her helmet, was accompanied by the light indicating that she was talking:

_- Mr. Haalaka was just expecting an asari and a human. Why did she send the three of you? -_

Kaidan was going to say something, but Janice was ahead of him:

_- Lavinia was aware of that, but she fears that our "asari" is a little indisposed at the time... Do you follow?. Thus she decided that, to compensate, she would send our "best items" for the job. Maybe later... if you have time, we can make a "work" for you too... -_She said in the most sensual tone the man had ever heard.

The alien only repressed a gesture and shook her head:

_- Keelah ... he´s such an increasingly depraved!... - _she utered under his breath and said_ - Okay, go ahead, third floor, office three-hundred and three. Leave your weapons and personal effects in the safe boxes on your right -_She pointed to a shelf where they had reinforced safes. They certainly didn´t like surprises.

They both nodded and made a sign to their companion, who approached. Left their things in the room and passed. Once inside the building, and while they were climbing up the elevator to the third floor, Kaidan asked:

_- How did you know that would work? -_

_- Lavinia is a contact of mine from the port of Nos Astra, on Illium. She has a thriving business, ans she hires me on a regular basis to make "hard collections" -_

_- And what is her business about? -_

_- Professional escort services. Her company specializes in "exotic escorts". At least that is how she registered it by law, but all who know her realize, that Lavinia has one of the most lucrative, legal-brothels of all Illium. And it is a fact that, since a few years ago, Rankar Haalaka has become very fond of intergroup and interspecies sex parties -_

Janice said nothing. Alenko tried to imagine it, and his conservative mind protested from the depths of his being. He couldn´t imagine the contorted and seemingly "little" Rankar he had known eight years ago, as a depraved being, willing to be led by carnal pleasures.

They left the elevator and walked down several corridors, manouvering to avoid the concurrence of the few offices, to get to apartment three-hundred and three, in a side corridor of the building. Both men stood at the sides of the entrance, while the robot remained in front. The door opened almost immediately. A salarian, whose skin color was almost orange, poked his head from side to side. Seeing the old mercenary, he tried to close abruptly, but the foot of the girl blocked the entrance. A push on the door and the group heard a body collapsing to the ground.

A few seconds later they were all inside. Kaidan saw Rankar lying on the floor, clutching his head. Zaeed approached him and talking to his ear with a look of unhealthy satisfaction, he quipped:

_- Why hello Rankar!... didn´t expect to see me here? -_

* * *

"_Afterlife" night club  
Platform Two hundrerd and fifty eight  
Omega_

Aria T'Lok had waited long enough. Mre than an hour ago she had given the order to send scouts to verify the strange event that the sensors of the space station had registered. It had been about fifty-five of them, when communications were interrupted with the ships, and three minutes later the electronic communications equipment had failed, beginning to go mad in a sea of contradictory and confusing signals, indicating that whoever was out there was playing with them.

She had retired from her usual place at the club, to one of the internal offices where several of her subordinates coordinated the few flows of information that haven´t been interrupted. Faced with the imminent threat of an invasion (she didn´t know who could dare to bring troops to Omega, but whoever tried was equally an idiot, a madman... or someone with huge guts!. She pondered much the latter), she had ordered her lieutenants to send for the leaders of the mercenary garrisons, at least thirty minutes ago, and they were yet to arrive.

Patience, the Asari virtue par excellence, began to shine by their absence.

If the Council wanted to play rough, then she would teach them a lesson (_"no one comes to Omega to try to scare the Pirate Queen in her own home!"_). Meanwhile she was coordinating her efforts with the bands of mercenaries and smugglers who had agreed to cooperate. There were some other fools who were not willing to work to prevent a possible hostile movement. And there were some more who were waiting for the right moment to become a thorn in the side. She had reserved a special treatment for the latter.

Thus, while reports came in, and a sea of people moved in and out of her private office, she pondered about what was out there, that a group of frigates and a cruiser had been unable to neutralize. She had sent her messengers to personally contact other planets of the Terminus Systems, those with trade agreements. But it would be several hours before any reinforcement fleet could reach through the mass relays to help them. And she was not sure of the loyalty of many. And above all was the information she had received almost five minutes ago...

She was pondering the nature of that, when a Turian, one of her assistants, entered:

_- Aria: Jaroth, Garm and Tarak have come -_

_- Make them pass, quickly -_she commanded, rising from her seat.

The other went out, and then the three aliens entered the room. Their eyes spoke of how suspicious they were, not used to talking among themselves. But if Aria wanted to see them, it was unwise to refuse an invitation, regardless of who the bedfellows were.

Tarak, a weary looking batarian whose half-lost eyes concealed a remarkable intelligence for someone of his race, and also the leader of the Blue Suns in Omega, was the first to speak:

_- Aria... good to see you. To what do we owe the honor? -_

_- Don´t start with your games batarian... -_ Garm rebuked. A stone-looking, muscular Krogan, more than two meters tall, and the leader of the Blood Pack on Omega _- I didn´t come here to do caravans. If you have something important to say, Aria, then... -_

The Asari gave him a crude look that froze the many hearts of the Krogan, and reduced him to silence. None of them forgot that the _de facto _queen of Omega was not a person to mess with.

_- This came from our Interferometry telescopes. Take a look! -_

The Pirate Queen deployed the information contained in her omnitool. It was a video recording, fuzzy and unclear. But it could be seen on it, what looked like the remains of a group of warships. Someone zoomed in the image, and they could distinguish several of the twenty frigates that were sent to verify the situation. They were in disrepair and there was activity in their vicinity. Someone increased the focus of the camera to infinity, and there appeared a figure that seemed diffused, but slowly came into focus. They waited a few seconds and suddenly the figure acquired sharpness.

It was a battleship. A bigger-than-dreadnought-sized one, if his scale on the telescope was not lying. It was surrounded by a countless amount of fighter planes facing the only cruiser that she had deployed to support them. This one was shortening distances to "knife-range" combat. The cruiser ships that the ruler of Omega had, were substantially big (ranging from five hundred to seven hundred meters, almost as large as dreadnoughts of the Asari, Turian or Alliance fleets, and consequently, armed with the best weapons the black market could offer), but as it could be seen, even those beasts of war had little hope to face such an enemy, and be victorious.

Before the mass-driver attacks of the cruiser, the other ship had deployed some sort of barrier that had endured the attacks, as if they had been mere stones against a shield of steel. They had launched a counterattack by sending just a couple of his fighters, who had eluded the "GARDIAN" firing systems and launched two anti-ship missiles. These impacted the transport, its kinetic barriers unable to parry them. As a result, the cruiser had stopped its movement and floated adrift, without a trace of activity of any kind.

Aria stopped recording at that moment. Jaroth, the salarian leader of the Eclipse mercenary group, and the only one of the aliens that hasn´t spoken previously, raised his voice:

_- That´s no news for me. But what happened to the other ships? -_

_- They have returned and are orbiting the station, waiting for any hostile movement. So far "they" haven´t tried to close the gap -_

It took a good chunk of resolution for the Pirate Queen to utter those words. But if the enemy was planning an invasion (and according to their behavior that was very likely), it was better that her unlikely "allies", knew it right away.

_- Interesting - _said the salarian, with shrilly voice –_That dreadnought´s capabilities exceed those of any vessel of the known races. Not even the "Destiny Ascencion" of the Asari can compete with it... -_

_- I knew it. These cowards of the Council would never dare to attack us, not after Eden Prime! -_ Garm shouted, showing the typical bravado of the Krogan.

_- It is important that the mass accelerators and "GARDIAN" station systems are armed and ready to fire at the slightest provocation - _Jaroth commented.

_- They are... - _Aria said using the same cold voice she had kept during the meeting_ - ...but it won´t be enough -_

_- Then it is time to tell us why did you bring us here, Aria - _The batarian Tarak counterattacked, his voice bordering on contempt.

Aria didn´t flinch. On the inside she was cursing the "four-eyed insolent", but after what she had seen, she was in no position to do without any assistance:  
_  
- You all like me, are packing what you can, from your work materials and supplies, trying to reduce any potential losses. And we all know how big they can be if they... - _pointed to the outside_ - ...decide to invade us. We can´t fight for the station's orbit, except trying to keep them away by shooting our mass accelerators. But one thing we can do... -_

The three aliens looked at each other. Obviously the same thought had passed through their heads. Garm was the first to speak:

_- If those miserables attempt an invasion, they´re going to pay it dearly! -_

_- Winning this battle will require more than an emboldened Krogan, but if what is needed are soldiers, The Blue Suns are willing and able -_continued Tarak

_- Eclipse has the means and technology to do that and more -_

_- None of you have brains enough however... -_ Aria ended in a tone of sarcasm _- This came from platform sixteen. Look again! -_

She released a new projection. In it, the landing of a group of persons had been registered. Two men and a woman deployed from a ship similar to the fighters that had killed the cruiser. Two of them brought unknown equipment. One man wore a suit similar to body armor, but thicker, and more powerful in appearance, than any armor of infantry of any known army. At the same time it looked like a cross between that and a surveillance robot. The third man was armed with weapons of the best quality, but it was standard technology, known by any citizen of Omega. The woman, however, brought a more slender body armor, and various devices attached to it, not readily recognizable.

The leaders of the mercenaries didn´t miss detail of what they saw. When the screening ended, Jaroth was the first to raise his voice:

_- That is consistent with some data obtained recently, before the fall of the communications. Our radars detected the outline of a fighter, similar to the ones on the video ... - _he said, showing images of ladar and other instruments. The image of one of the veritechs escorting the unknown dreadnought appearing parallel to the silhouette and a blurred image of the same vehicle:

_- We didn´t want to engage it, before knowing what it was, and learning more about its capabilities. My engineers agree that is the source of communications jamming -_

_- This is also consistent with other information -_ The batarian showed a battle scene, where three newcomers confronted a patrol of the Blue Suns, along with the vehicle that followed them _- They really are dangerous. Extrapolating the appearance of the type of technology they use, whith what we have seen, I can be sure they come from the ship -_

_- I have something to show as well! -_ said Garm and struggled with his omnitool for some time, earning him reproachful looks from the others. But when the image that the Krogan wanted to show was screened, everyone including Aria, paid attention _- This had __arrived to me, ten minutes before her messengers... -_ Drew a finger to Aria _- ...found me -_

This projection, coming out of the tool of the Blood Pack leader, showed the three newcomers, joined by a fourth man, that Tarak recognized as Zaeed Massani (taking good care of not saying it aloud). They were entering the Messer district, on platform nine. The picture showed a guard that was bribed to let them pass.

Aria repressed a gesture of anger. _"How dare these punks hide obviously important information?"_. She was about to give way to her momentum and rub their bodies against the ground until there were no distinct physical features, but refrained from it. There would be time for recriminations later, and also... once they had solved this issue, she could use these actions as an excuse to settle accounts.

The _de facto _ruler of Omega rose:

_- You´re not as useless as you seem after all... -_ she outlined a smirk _- If these three come from the ship, it is obvious that whatever they´re looking for, is here. Time to go hunting! -_she got up and going to her weapons locker, took a shotgun from it.

The three mercenary chiefs looked at her with a smile of relief evidently painted on their faces...

* * *

_Saluva Interstelar Building,  
Messer District, Platform Nine  
Omega_

When Rankar Haalaka awoke, Alenko and his companions had already settled in the small but comfortable apartment. The salarian, tied as he was, with a strong-looking rope, probably brought by Zaeed, saw the old mercenary approach him, enjoying a meal in his hands:

_- Zaeed, old friend... H-How are you?... To what do I owe the honor of your visit? -_Said the information dealer, unable to avoid nervousness, watching him wolf down a plate of a strange flesh, which appeared red and very soft to the eye, along with what looked like a beer.

_- Look at all this food and drink... -_ The mercenary said, chewing a mouthful, his mouth almost full, in a display of bad taste and vulgarity, that the prisoner thought very low of.

_- ... Expensive furniture, expensive equipment and even personalized porn, not the shit offered over the Extranet... -_ Resentment in the old man's voice left no doubt about his intentions _- Business is looking very well, don´t you think Rankar?, especially when "betraying your partner" is the name of the game! -_ The man launched the dish to one of the shelves, shattering it, and rebuked loudly:

_- Such a scandal we´re doing here!, sorry for you the walls of this room are soundproof. No one can hear you scream in pain!, miserable toad! -_ He hit the prisoner's chest with his boot, projecting him backwards, laughing loudly. The alien let out a terrified scream.

_- Don´t kill him "old man". I have also a score to settle with him -_Alenko's voice came from behind.

_- And what can you have against this poor bastard? -_Asked the other and took a swig of the drink still in his hand. The aforementioned let out a groan that seemed more like a whimper.

_- He´s responsible for the deaths of five good soldiers of the Alliance!. I could´ve been one of them had it not been for my own luck... -_ Kaidan rose his voice from behind, letting out a resentment that few people knew he had. He was not happy with the treatment the mercenary was giving to his ex-partner, but deep inside, he was glad to see the cause of the misfortune of his friends suffering:

_- You do remember me, don´t you Rankar?. It wasn´t so long ago... Just eight fucking years!. You remember Commander Dietler and the others that you betrayed, don´t you miserable? -_He started walking toward him. Suddenly he stopped. Somewhere along the way he had become lost, and he could no longer recognize himself.

_- Easy gentlemen... I understand your position about our guest, but you´d better let me speak to him first -_the quiet voice from Janice came from behind them.

Kaidan turned to her. She was sitting in a chair in the back wall of the room while tapping several things at high speed, in the multiple terminals the "chalet" of his prisoner had. She was mentally checking the hacker's computer connections. Despite its increased computing power, courtesy of the traitor Haydonites, the Extranet was a bit too big for her. Collecting, digesting and classifying all such information could take her years, but it was a very valuable source of data that she was not about to pass up.

_- Zaeed!, don´t let him kill me please!, I didn´t want to do it!... - _the tied alien cried from his place in the chair_- ...Vido Santiago came to see me! -_

_- Vido ... -_ murmured the mercenary, approaching menacingly at him, his voice a rumor that was more like an animal growl _- Vido paid you to betray me? -_

_- Him... he said ... that he could give me more credits than I had ever seen in my life. I didn´t know the thing was all about you... He mentioned your name and when I refused, he... -_ The salarian talked incessantly. His life literally depended on it.

_- Wait a minute!. This is the second time I hear the name of Vido Santiago Vido in relation to you, old geezer... what do you have to do with it? -_ Kaidan intruded.

_- That is not of your fucking concern, bitch boy! -_ The mercenary reacted violently facing the young man. Kaidan could see the uncontrollable rage on the deformed and distorted face of the other. The toad-like prisioner closed his eyes, trying to hide the terror that was taking hold over him by the minute.

_- I said enough! -_

Janice stood up and walked toward them, separating them with force. They were going to protest, but she left behind and approached the prisoner:

_- Mr. Haalaka. My name is Janice Em. You are an information dealer here on Omega. Quite famous, as I have understood. I happen to require your services -_ she came and uplifted the fallen alien, before the looks of contempt of the two men.

_- I can get you whatever you need!... Whatever!... as long as you save me from these two psychopaths! - _the guy almost clung to her, despair ever present in his eyes.

_- Here´s the deal Mr. Haalaka. You´ll get me some navigation charts software, updated till today, in thirty minutes or less... And I will do everything in my power to protect you from both - _she said pointing to her companions _- My offer expires in ten seconds, nine, eight, seven... -_

_- Okay, okay!, right!... Just don´t leave me with them ... -_

A few minutes later, she had untied him and the salarian was in front of his computers and systems. Zaeed was ranting incessantly and Kaidan was no less annoyed, but Janice knew that their priority was to get the information, so she appeassed them. Rankar said he had to connect himself directly to the flow of the Extranet, due to a jamming of communications that was taking effect in Omega. Janice knew exactly what he was talking about (she had ordered the Valverde twins do it, as soon as she landed).

While the alien connected directly, remaining in some kind of trance and using a shielded cable, protruding directly from the base of his spine, to his machines, Janice did the same, raising a look of amazement and suspicion of Alenko. The young man was about to protest, but the robot woman stopped him:

_- Don´t look at me like that Lieutenant. Like you, I have some secrets that I am not in position to reveal. However, once we´re out of here, I´ll answer your questions - _the woman finished, and then fell into the same trance, most likely to keep an eye of the hacker and impede him from launching an alert while surfing.

That didn´t allay the suspicions of the young man. He had become so suspicious while fighting the Geth, that his mind had began forming an idea. One that seemed inconceivable. However, with his current travel companions, he could never be sure. Was going to wake her, but Zaeed´s hand resting on his shoulder caught his eye. Turned over to see the mercenary shook his head in disapproval. In turn, this turned and beckoned him to follow.

Without a word, the old man served a plate of vegetables and meat, similar to the one whose content now decorated one of the walls, and brought a couple of beers. Deposited the food an beverages on a large table that dominated the room and then sat:

_- Let the "chick" do her job. There aren´t many like her in this business, you know? - _The bounty hunter said, starting to engulf the food. Manners were not his forte, but Alenko understood his situation. He opened his beer and gave a sip.

_- You seem to have a story with that miserable... make you a deal. A warstory for another. If you tell me about your relation with the salarian, I will tell you what Vido Santiago has to do with me -_ offered Zaeed of the blue. Kaidan didn´t expect that suddenly the hit-man began to open up, but decided not to tempt his fate.

He took a sip of beer and savoring the acrid taste of the drink, began:

_- It was eight years ago. Like many other subjects of BAAT, I had joined the Alliance to serve. It had been more than three years since that, when HIGHCOMM came to me to entrust me with a mission -_

He recalled some details that didn´t bother to mention to the old man. It was a highly irregular situation, suddenly having been ordered to accompany an N7 group into a eminently hostile territory as Omega.

_- What was the job? -_ Asked the other. The young man had taken the bait and activated the trap. He did not like to talk about it, but there was no escape.

_- I joined a special operations group, who worked here at the station. The goal was to steal information from the mercenary organization The Blue Suns, who had been involved in theft of classified Alliance materials. At least that was the explanation I was given before leaving... -_

_- Yeah... that sounds like something Vido and the others would do... -_The mercenary shook his head and took a spoonful to his mouth.

_- You seem to know Vido well -_Asked the Sentinel, resuming his questioning.

_- End your story and you´ll find out ... -_Said the old man, rushing the snack.

_- Commander Dietler needed a technical specialist, to replace one of its own, who had died in combat in the last mission. My Sentinel training made me particularly suitable for the job, so a day later I left the Fleet Depot on Czarnobóg, to join my new team -_

Kaidan recalled the face of naughtiness of Lieutenant Ramirez, one of his companions, when she picked him up at the disembark point. She studied him from head to toe and said to her superior, Captain Shinohara, she didn´t think he would have what it takes to work with them. He tried not to pay attention to that remark, but almost immediately Omega put him to the test. The smelly rotten place they had conditioned as a safe house, was battered and dirty, there was little or nothing in a matter of furniture, and it was somehow dangerous to live, surrounded as it was by indolent humans and aliens who would not submit to the decisions of the Alliance or the Council. Quite the place to stay.

When he mentioned that out loud, the captain just said something like: _"There are worse garbage dumps on Earth. You'll get used"_, before he closed his mouth completely and retreated to his own affairs...

_- Considering what little (and not very reliable) intel we had about the Blue Suns, it was decided we'd pose as an independent group of mercenaries set out in the space station. We hired a hacker, that had very little time having started as an independent, but very qualified. None less than our mutual acquaintance Rankar. He was in charge of erasing any tracks from our past and introducing our false entries over the Extranet ... -_

_- As per the Alliance manuals... - _Said the old suppressing a smile. Alenko ignored him.

_- When I was already acclimated, started my training with them and two months later we were working undercover. Seven months after my arrival, a representative of the Blue Suns, one Major Cathka, batarian, the closest man to the main circle of Vido Santiago, led us into the organization -_

_- And then it followed a most fuckingly thorough background check, is it not?... -_

_- Yes but not as much as Commander Dietler expected... -_ Kaidan could swear he heard the mercenary cursing under his breath - _Once we were in, that´ s when it began the real work... -_

_- Gaining access to computer systems of the "company" and locating the info... -_

_- Correct... Rankar worked for us as an analyst, and I used to handle technical field operations. As I imagine you know, he had been part for a while, of the salarian Special Tasks Group, but for reasons of dishonorable charge... or at least so we were informed, he left the service. However he is really good... or lucky enough to have made an advatageous deal, so his ex-partners wouldn´t come looking for him to Omega -_

_- He's a rat!. But he IS damn good, I can´t deny it. I always got good contracts from him... -_Mentioned the other and took a long sip of the drink by his side. The dish in front of him had been emptied. The young man was not surprised.

_- Within six months, we had a chance -_continued the soldier, remembering, as if they were shots in the dark, fragments of a conversation he had just the day before the mission:

_- "...if any of us is left alive, he or she has to carry what we´re going to get to Arcturus. At all costs... "-_

_- "...My ass is on the line of fire as much as yours!, I think I deserve to know, even if only a bit, about why your boss went to Czarnobóg in poerson to get me!..." -_

_- "... Haalaka reports that counter-measures are in place ..."_

_- "... You have a mission and I hope you complete it as the Alliance soldier you are. Are we clear ?..." -_

Forced his conscience to return to the table, in which the old Zaeed was not seated anymore. Maybe he had lost track of time, or something had happened, but his body tensed immediately. He turned to both sides, seeking an answer, and found it in the form of the mercenary bringing another round of beers for both.

_- You need to refresh your throat son. And I'm going to have another to your sake -_ he said pointing to him with the dark drink.

_- Just don´t get us in trouble because of your drinking habits -_mumbled the young soldier. He took another sip of the new drink and continued:

_- That day everything went to hell. The mission began well, but after extracting the info, things got complicated... -_

He remembered again, seeing the details like it had happened yesterday. He saw Ramirez bringing under one of the guards (that one in particular had had a few drinks with them, together in a seedy bar, which didn´t stop her from slicing his neck without considerations), while he applied a dose of biotic force to the skull of another.

There weren´t many guards on the premises. Lots of them had gone to reinforce the garrisons of the various neighborhoods of Omega and the perimeter of the base, in response to the attacks the men of Aria T'Lok had orchestrated against them. Meanwhile the bosses had gone to confer with the very Aria.

The ploy of Commander Dietler, creating a feud between the people of the Pirate Queen and the mercenaries, had been perfect.

Everything was fine. They had gained computer access, thanks to an informatic bypass he had done. Then he remotely linked Rankar, to extract and destroy the database. The salarian had to struggle, as the system was ready to repel any possible invasion by way of a quite annoying virtual intelligence. It was however neutralized. There was something that caught his attention however, and it was a leaked brief signal Alenko failed to identify:

_- "Maybe it was some trick of the V.I., but Rankar quickly took care of silencing her" -_

He left the matter rest, and ten minutes later, they were leaving the premises, moving through the top of the building, using the magnetic boots and propellers of their costumes...

_- At our meeting point, we realized that neither Commander Dietler nor Rankar had appeared. The protocol dictated not to wait, but O'Shea and Ramirez convinced Shinohara of doing so. It wasn´t long before we realized it was a mistake. Security cameras caught a search-and-destroy party nearby our shelter. It came under the command of a batarian named Tarak, with which we barely had crossed four words in the course of our stay. Not even half an hour had passed since the incident and the Blue Suns were chasing us already -_

_- Vido sent them after you, forgetting about Aria? -_ asked the mercenary, still holding the beer in his hand.

_- No. It seems that it was Tarak´s initiative. Anticipating a possible trap, the alien had ordered one of the patrols nearby the base, to return for an inspection. When they found the bodies and no trace of our presence, they suspected... -_

_- That doesn´t explain your interest in Vido... -_

_- We´ll get to that... we managed to escape from there, by the sacrifice of Shinohara. Ramirez and the others almost had to drag me out through an emergency exit. The extraction method was going to be a ship transporting raw materials, piloted by undercover soldiers, that had come to Omega a few days ago. It waited for us in port sixteen. But Tarak´s people had blocked the routes and the only option to get there, was to cross Melika district... -_

The mercenary whistled. Melika was one of the most rough districts of all the space station. Some of the most vicious killers in the galaxy came from there. The Sentinel saw the other´s face and couldn´t help but nod:

_- Halfway through the port, we received a transmission from Vido Santiago. He invited us __to surrender, to avoid a fate worse than death. Once Vorobyov refused, he showed us... -_  
_  
- Commander Dietler, chained to the floor of a cubicle, where several starving varrens, strugged to escape their bondage... I saw him -_came a voice behind them. It belonged to Rankar Haalaka, who did little more than look down to the floor intermittently. Janice wasn´t with him.

Both mercenary and Sentinel stood up, staring:

_- Where is the "chick"? -_Asked the old man, interrupting the boy.

_- She is in the back, reviewing the information. We have to talk... -_the salarian said.

_- And what are you going to say that I do not know already?. That you´re sorry things have been that way?, That it wasn´t your fault what happened to Dietler? - _Kaidan faced the alien, a rage bubbling inside him, encouraging him to behave in ways he might regret.

_- That's right!... what happened was not my fault! -_ Insisted the hacker, his gaze transfoming, from uncertainty, accurately into fear.

_- It´s been eight years Rankar!, eight years in which the order of HIGHCOMM had been to shut it, about what happened here!. Eight years in wich none of them has deigned to try and figure out what went wrong!. Now I´ll find out the truth and confirm what I already suspected, you damn coward! -_The black-haired insisted, raising his fists. Zaeed stopped him almost automatically:

_- But what the hell happened? -_asked to the boy, turning around to face him, but the answer came from Rankar.

_- Vido urged them to give up a second time. I can swear I saw the idea crossing through the eyes of Ramirez and O'Shea, but Vorobyov refused again... then the "trap-necklaces" containing the Varren were disabled and... -_

Neither said anything. The bounty-hunter could make himself an idea of what followed then. He smiled bitterly:

_- Another debt I have to settle with that bastard... -_he muttered. The others however, were not paying attention.

_- After that, we heard a message that was broadcast on the loudspeakers of the entire Omega! -_ continued Alenko -_ In it, Aria and Vido offered the population a substantial number of credits to capture us, dead or alive... -_ The calmness in the young soldier began to fade _- ...a wild hunt broke out. Vorobyov died first, facing a horde of aliens while buying time for us to escape. O'Shea was killed when firearms happened to hit his backpack, going across his kinetic barrier and puncturing one of his explosives!... at least he didn´t suffer -_

Kaidan approached the salarian, with clear hostile intent. The bounty-hunter was going to stop him, but he suddenly discovered he didn´t have much sympathy for the alien at the moment.

_- And once we arrived near the extraction point... we found him! -_ The young man held up a finger, which seemed made of fire, pointing to the information dealer_ – I hadn´t noticed the strange turn of events when he appeared, but then I realized about the signal I had noticed when we were infiltrating the database. It wasn´t the V.I. launching an alert!. It couldn´t have been! - h_is gaze was becoming dangerously upset and made Zaeed rise his level of alertness:

_- It was you who had betrayed us! - _the young man said launching a fist that connected solidly with the alien's jaw and sent him to the ground, with an unmistakable moan of pain.

_- It wasn´t my intention!, you have to believe me! -_ The weeping voice of the salarian rose _- I didn´t do it on purpose!, my orders said that signal had to be sent - _the fear in his eyes was evident. Kaidan felt emboldened:

_- Orders?, what orders?, what are you talking about? -_

_- The Commander´s... -_ Haalaka's voice was breaking.  
_  
- Do not lie to me, fucker!. You'll tell me right now who gave you those orders, or I won´t leave an intact bone in your toad-body! - _Shouted the young biotic, displaying his aura. Rankar swallowed.

_- I´m dead serious, is not a lie, if you let me...! -_

The look of despair ended with the last remnants of patience of the Sentinel.

_- Tell me, you damned frog! -_ he lost his temper and threw a punch that didn´t connect. He stopped inches away, because of the desperate cry of the salarian:

_- It was the Commander!, really! -_ he called on his omnitool, what the Sentinel considered a hostile gesture.

_- Motherfucker! -_ a blue fist of impacted on the salarian´s body, which barely withstood the blow. He bent over his legs, and ended on the floor, on his knees. Kaidan grabbed his neck and began to squeeze. With its biotic power substantially increasing its strength, he could easily break the neck of his victim...

_- MISERABLE COWARD!. YOU HAVE NO QUALMS TO LIE TO SAVE YOUR LIFE! -_he shouted, choking his opponent.

Janice came out of nowhere, like lightning falling on him. She grabbed the hands of the human, using all her strength to separate them from the neck of the alien, who looked like his eyes were going out of their sockets. Zaeed also arrived and helped the girl to put down the aggressor. The three struggled for a few seconds, until they managed to place Kaidan face down on the floor.

_- I can´t allow you to do that lieutenant -_ said the girl, releasing him once the other one had calmed down _- This creature and I have reached an agreement for his protection -_

_- He is a traitorous wretch!, he must pay! -_The Alliance soldier shouted, rising to face her.

_- He´s not trustworthy. Plus I don´t believe a thing of what he just said. I'd kill him myself right now if I had it my way - _Zaeed commented without stirring too much, which only spoke of how much he was accustomed to violence.

_- It is... no lie -_between gasps, slow and painfully, the hacker typed some instructions. On a wall, a holographic projector deployed, unfolding with a recording on it:

The figure of a white male, short hair and rugged features, but serene face, filled the room space. Both the young Sentinel, and the old mercenary were shocked, while the image of the pupil that Zaeed had trained, and the reliable superior Alenko had known, appeared before them.

The recording was brief but very illuminating. For three and a half minutes the young soldier of the Alliance looked how all the speculation he was mulling over for eight long years, the whole mountain of research on the mission he had taken part of, all the hopes he had harbored that everything had been a misunderstanding, collapsed. When it finished he couldn´t do anymore but dropping into a chair, absorbed in what he had just heard. It was however Zaeed, who made the first comment:

_- The Alliance wanted Vido Santiago out of the way, so they sent Dietler. Only he or myself could stop him... -_

_- Did you know the Commander? -_

_- He was part of my SPEC-OPS groups while I was serving in the Alliance. Before they founded the N7, long ago. Long story... -_

_- The Commander didn´t want ... -_ continued Haalaka, making everyone turn around to see him _- ...his team to be sacrificed along with him. He knew the capabilities of the Blue Suns, and hatched a plan to infiltrate the base of the mercenaries and get away with the valuable information, while carrying out the task entrusted to him by HIGHCOM. He took good care of not discussing this plan on his entirety with his subordinates -_

_- He would create a distraction for the Blue Suns and Vido to make them fall out from the grace of Aria and, counting on how well he knew the bastard, he would try to assassinate him while the confusion lasted -_Zaeed commented, sitting down too. Alenko looked at him with wide eyes.

_- But why did he ordered a signal to be launched? -_ was all Kaidan managed to ask at that moment.

_- He knew that if his colleagues became suspicious of something, they would try to rescue him. His intention was to force them back to the ship and leave him there. I would have done the same, since it is easier to escape from Omega solo, than leading a whole group -_Massani said.

_- But things went wrong, and the result was what you already knew, Lieutenant -_ Janice finished, coming to the table _- Mr. Massani: Our deal has been fullfilled. But I can´t let you kill this salarian: His skills and knowledge of computer systems can serve the Expeditionary Force, and in return we will protect him. As a compensation, keep this with you... -_Janice deposited the two red diamonds that she had previously shown him, on the table.

_- Add two more of those... -_ Zaeed threw a glance of malice to the salarian, which only managed to shake with fear - ..._and I can let him live -._

Janice put two more stones, produced from one of her pockets. The mercenary's eyes couldn´t believe what he saw:

_- Ja!, someday you´ll have to explain to me how is it that your blood is so cold, girl -_he said as he took the spoils greedily.

_- Maybe someday... -_ she said and then went to Alenko _- Are you alright Lieutenant? -_

Kaidan rose. His mind was boilling with thoughts, but once they return to the Archangel, he would have long time to digest what he had just heard:

_- Yes. We'd better go now. So, is he with us? -_

_- Yes... I just have to call our extraction and... -_she began, but the radio stopped her altogheter:

_- [Warning!, this is Captain Dante!, I'm under fire!. A massive hostile group tried to take me by surprise, and now they´re moving directly towards your position!. ETA: Five minutes! Evacuate immediately!] -_

The three soldiers looked at each other. Without a word, Janice shouldered the salarian, as if carrying a bundle. He protested a lot but did not resist. Kaidan and Massani opened the door and ran to the main hall, pushing the little suckers who stood in their way.

All that managed to go through the mind of the Alliance Sentinel, while leaving aside the elevator and climbing the stairs to the roof, was that his life was becoming brutally complicated since he met the people of the Expeditionary Force. If things continued that way...

He was bound soon to be really dead.

* * *

A.N: Okay, i didn´t like that much the scene of Alenko and Rankar talking, but i had to rewrite it several times, and everyone of those i was adding something new.

All of the written material was enough so i can write a "companion" story, about Alenko and the crew of Commander Dietler. Look for it later!

Next: The last part of the interim, and the missing piece that is about to trigger unforeseen consequences.

See ya!.


	11. Interim 3: Circumstances

Robotech and their characters are properties of Harmony Gold USA Inc., Mass Effect and their characters are properties of Bioware. There´s no economic remuneration gained from this story.

* * *

Boys and girls (if there is any fangirl over there rading this mess...): I´m baaaaack!

Okay: Bad joke... (really got to learn no to do that).

Here i would put a long, long story of how i fell from a two-story building and broke my two arms while helping a friend, how much it costed me starting to write again, how depressed i was, yada, yada, yada.

You´re not here to hear me rant about all of that!. What you´re here for is to read this new chapter (interim part 3), soooo...

Let´s go over with the usual claims:

Many thanks to: **S-4-macross** for the review!, Dude, I also like that main pair Lisa & Rick (even though Hunter is most of the times an utter fool that fails to know what a fine woman he has as life-partner). Lisa plays an important part in this crossover (as you may have found already), so you can expect more of them in the future!.

To: **madbunny2811** (which i didn´t mention in the previous update), **MassEffectFan1337**, **Cataquack Warrior**, **Reult**, and **s-4-macross** for favoring this story and to **JcwildSR2** and **jlp511 **for placing an alert over this one.

Oh!, and in case you wonder... the part of me falling from a two-story building is real!. I dare you to try and write a tale with your feet only...

* * *

**Interim part 3:**

**Circumstances**

_Tayseri Ward, The Citadel... _

Robert Dellyle, model worker and family man, wakes up in a hard bench in a cell at the Tayseri Ward precinct. His muscles ache, partly due to the day's hard work, partly because the cold, hard bench were he´s resting, it´s not made for comfort. He doesn´t forget the reason why he´s "visiting" the C-Sec locale. He turns to see, reluctantly, to his cell mate and can´t make anything but a look of surprise. His neighbor is so uncomfortable and bruised as he is, as a result of the fight in the bar by which both of them were arrested, but he smiles with a certain security that reminds him of himself.

William Jensen, head of maintenance of subdeck three on the SDF-3, can´t imagine how, of all the things that could happen while on "leave", he had to finish the day with a trip to the brig. He´s not a violent man (he actually tries and avoids conflicts as much as possible, something anathema in the military). However, when he runs his hand across the cardinals that adorn his body, it awakens a sense of great satisfaction. The man on the other side of the cell has hit him, and he in turn has beaten him out without asking truce or quarter.

There´s a sense of mutual respect growing reluctantly in both of them. He doesn´t get into fights everyday, much less ones that would require every bit of strenght out of him to win. Dialogue is not something that lingers in their heads at that very moment. However there are questions not yet asked that haunt their thoughts...

_- For a soldier... you punch like a little girl - _the voice of the worker rises, dripping irony.

_- Says the guy I've shaken off a tooth? - _replies the officer, letting him have a taste of his own medicine.

The burly man next to him nods, while his tongue explores the cave of his mouth. Having accounted for such condition and, convinced of the assertion of its opposite, he smiles:

_- Touché... It was going to fall eventually anyway -_ says with some sarcasm.

_- Have your displeassure subsided?, or are you trying to remind me why we're here again? - a_sks the soldier, with a slight bitterness in his voice.

_- Can we skip that part?, It´s bad enough that we´re both locked down together, for you to throw it in my face yet again... -_ there´s some guilt in his voice, accompanied by an elusive look that does nothing to convince the military man.

_- Look pal... You were the one coming into the bar trying to hit me, because of me being __with the Expeditionary Force... -_ William is not willing to let it slide.

_- Hey!, had you guys not screwed us with that EMP, none of this would be!... -_ the other counters, and both men rise from their seats abruptly.

The thumping on the crysteel reinforced glass makes the cellmates suddenly turn:

_- Silence both of you!, or we´ll have to put you on muzzles! - _a muffled voice comes from the outside. A grumpy Turian waves a containment stick, claiming for the lost peace. Both men look at him for a second and decide to ignore his rant, then turn to their respective places, each one going to sit in complete disgust.

_- Hey... -_

The soldier breaks the silence again, a couple of minutes later.

_- I don´t want your apologies! -_ the face of the worker is one of genuine discomfort.

_- Do you always act like an idiot?, just listen a moment! -_ asks the maintenance manager, pondering whether in fact he´s not acting like a fool hmself for trying to talk with a guy like that.

_- And what do you have to say that might interest to me?. You are the strangers here. You came here to disrupt everything... you feel so morally superior... what the hell could you need from us? -_

_- Hey!, it was not our intention to change any of this. We shouldn´t even be here to begin with! -_

Here he stops to see the other person staring at him. He sighs:

_- The only thing we really want is to return home... -_

_- Hurting people is not going to get it -_

_- Hurting...? - _William asks rhetorically, and then shuts his mouth. He needs no relevant confirmation. He knows the events of their arrival didn´t bring too much sympathy upon them:

_- You know... this is not easy for us either. Many of our people are injured or recovering. Just now we have been able to repair our ship, but we have no intention of staying here forever. We're still at war and we´re needed at home -_

_- If you so little want to stay, why not make off at once? -_

_- You moron!, don´t you think if we were able to leave, we would have done already? -_

_- Hey, you two!, don´t you understand?, I said SILENCE! - _the same officer tapped on the glass, this time with a more annoying countennance.

Both men raise an arm in a similar gesture, motioning a universal offense that doesn´t go unnoticed on the Turian. William continues:

_- Hey... I don´t know about your personal misfortunes, nor how they relate to us or why we have to endure your insolence. But I assure you we are NOT in a bed of roses. And until we find a way to return home, we're stuck in the same pot -_

_- That's no consolation -_ grumbles the worker and thinks back to his family.

His mind goes through the scenes of that very day, by the morning:

He gets up early as usual, to take a rather meager breakfast. Tries to make as little noise as possible. Doesn´t want to wake his wife and daughter up, but a glance at the clock does change his mind. While they yawn and stretch, waking from their slumber, he prepares a cup of strong black coffee for himself. The scent awakens his senses, and gives him the conviction to cross the threshold of his apartment again.

He can´t say what the future holds in store for them. None can. And in circumstances like those of the last week, even less. His concern struggles with him and makes him lose sleep. He checks out the electronical form he needs to ask for a second work-shift. Hopefully the pay will be enough to cover the expenses they have recently acquired.

He´ll do anything for his family. He abandoned his life in that poor neighborhood in Cairo, to withstand the harshness of the colonies with his wife. The trip to Mindoir didn´t come out well (the terror of batarians raiding the planet and kidnapping the colonists as slaves, is something he isn´t too eager to remember). Going back to Earth to live a life of misery and crime is not an option.

Plucking up courage, they pay a one-way trip to The Citadel and install themselves on the giant space station. He knows he made the right choice, even as he finds out that the "political center" of the galaxy is not all the glamour and sophistication holovids present all the time. Many of the nearly two-and-half million inhabitants live, if not in utter poverty, at least in precarious conditions. But he can say something for sure: He will not have his wife (and later his daughter) have a bad time for lacking something to fill their stomachs with.

Just over a week ago, by the time "they" appear on the sky of the space station, among prompting stares and exclamations of wonder, his family stands in one of the many pedestrian walkways and green areas of the station. When the ship completes its arrival, his wife turns to him with "that look" on her face. One he has seen countless times before, in the dark moments of their life together. He feels the hands of the small (rather young) Susana surround his thick waist and hold it tight. Eliza leans by him, her body trembling with unspoken fear. He himself doesn´t know what to say, barely keeping his calm at a surprising event that, like many other beings there, can´t understand or explain. He extends his arms around his women in a protective gesture that none of them refuse in the slightest.

No one says anything. It´s not necessary. As long as they´re together, it won´t matter the future looks unclear. They will manage.

And then comes the pulse... he doesn´t want to remember.

William watches his cellmate, while reflecting in silence. Like the guy across him, his mind also revels in the circumstances of several hours ago. When his workshift ends, he daydreams of using his leave permit to sleep, the way he hasn´t done in several months, agitated because of the workload on the huge ship. His mind however, tells him not to. He´s intrigued by the sights and the amazing world that awaits him when he gets his permit to visit the Citadel.

He´s no stranger to space stations. He was born in the medical facilities of Space Station Liberty, months before the beggining of the Second Robotech War. He was part of the civilians dragged along, when that monster of over seventy-seven miles long, jumped out of Earth´s orbit to join the Expeditionary Force in deep space. He still remembers his childhood, difficult and hazardous, whith his family wandering the corridors, designed for the cyclopean Zentraedi, seeking ways to make a living. Although the cylindrical torus out there is not as impressive as his old home, it certainly has more comfort and pleasure than any of the facilities he has visited before.

A look in the mirror convinces him that he doesn´t need any vacation. But a soft poke to his side, where the tight provisional bandage is, makes him think better. It has been three weeks since he came back to service, after a rehabilitation of five of them. It´s the fault of the Battle of Optera, where they ended the treacherous Edwards´life. In the ensuing incident with the Neutron-S missiles, he had been hurt again and that put him back on the list of licenses. Meanwhile, workload has kept him busy, every shift in three. It´s not easy to be head of maintenance of a Robotech ship, much less the SDF-3, but he´s always loved his work and doesn´t regret staying cloistered in a Dimensional Fortress for most of a year. When one of his subordinates asks why he prefers to be a junior in the flagship of the fleet, to be head chief of maintenance of any other ship, he says he likes to be near Admiral Hunter: _"He´s where the action is!"._

The voice of his partner gets him back to reality:  
_  
- How is the place where you come from? - _Asks the worker abruptly.

_- Excuse me? -_

_- How is your world, your reality?. You know: How do you live?, What do you do?, how do you have fun?, that stuff... The news have already spread the story of your people over and over again, but we´ve learned not to rely too much on them -_

The soldier smiles sarcastically:

_- We´re no different. Back at home, the news are mostly war propaganda. A necessary evil, but an evil by the end of the day. About Earth though, i don´t know. I was born in space, in a large structure such as this one, but way bigger. Although I suppose it's similar to the images I've seen of your Earth, over the Extranet... -_

_- Yeah,. the Extranet is good for that... How comes the military handle the news?. If the Alliance would turn censorship of news, the government would hit the roof! -_

_- When a large part of your population is part of the army, not many disagree on how things are handled. There are civilians in Tirol, a planet of our allies, who have left the military, but most of the members of the Force continue to serve. Ours is a reality of war, as I have said. One in which we must strive to regain what is ours -_

_- At home we would make mass demonstrations!, wouldn´t allow the military to handle it all!, God knows the Alliance already has considerable antagonism just as it is!... -_

_- At home, the people of Earth has no voice or vote. As far as we know, they´re dominated by aliens. And what little information we have, says that they survive but not thrive. The Invid are responsible for that... -_

_- The Invid? -_

_- The enemy. They are like intelligent slugs. They have good weapons, but the main problem is that they always attack en masse. I've never seen that many bastards!. But the Third Reclamation Force will succeed!, (and I think so, because I've never seen a so damn big and armed fleet!). When we return, we'll find the Earth free again... - _then he stops and sighs_ - ...IF we come back - _notes.

He has to admit it. Both the Admiral and the Ambassador have always been very honest with the crew. That's not to the liking of the oldest officials, but the soldiers adore them because of it. When they both come to inform them that they might remain in this new universe for "some time", their faces are conflicted and it notices. Their expressions are closer to "we don´t know if we can return home," than what their words show...

Doesn´t want to think about that... not today at least._  
_  
The worker observes the doubtful countenance of his companion. A pang of remorse suddenly assaults him. It's a strange feeling, caused by people whom he regards as arrogant wretches. Try to calm his guilt by talking more:  
_  
- It's hard... thinking of someone who can mess with you, with all that technology. Your machines make the ones from The Council look as innocent toys. Not to mention your science... -_

William smiles sarcastically:

_- You wouldn´t want to know the Zentraedi, believe me!. When we fought them, their technology was better than ours and we had only one ship capable of dealing with them -_

_- Aren´t they your allies?... I mean, Commander Sterling has appeared in interviews and... -_

_- She is one of them, sure. But before being our allies, they were our enemies. And you would be horrified to know what they were capable of doing -_

_- And how did you win then? -_

_- Due to a fortunate circumstance, and a girl with golden voice... -_

_- Linn Minmei? -_

_- Yes!, have you heard about her? -_

The robust worker pales. He remembers an event three days ago. His daughter comes home excited after school. With nervous anticipation she makes him hear some recordings that are very much in vogue among young people, songs of a saccarine-sweetened "artist", for his very particular taste, like many of the popular products of the galaxy... one Linn Minmei. What was peculiar about the little woman, as explained by his hectic girl, is that some time ago she became kind of a symbol, when one of her songs helped the "foreigners" win a massive battle against genocidal aliens prepared to destroy them.

If someone had told him that a troop of grumpy gigantic men, with weapons better than those of the REF, would be defeated by the ridiculously "young- and-dreaming" songs of a sixteen-year-old girl, he would´ve taken him for an idiot. It was Robert's turn to smile bitterly: _"If things had been that easier in Shanxi..."_. He laughs scorningly, making his interlocutor raise an eyebrow in confusion, and swears to himself that he misses a little of the cynicism of his life before the arrival.

_- Do you think I'm lying? -_

_- No!... although it sounds quite far-fetched. But what the heck!, might actually be in another dimension! -_

_- Yeah... sounds pretty ridiculous when you say it that way. But I swear it's true. Linn Minmei is our muse -_

_- Alright, alright. But don´t make me listen to her. It´s OK for my daughter's ears, not mine... -_

They both laugh cheerfully, and the precinct officials stare at them amazed, not even guessing the kind of nonsense that both humans are saying. When the laughter ends, Robert sits and watches his partner. Acknowledges to himself that he has been making the same mistake of his childhood: Judging lightly, without knowing the circumstances of each individual. Something he thought he didn´t do anymore.

Conceals his sudden shame, by asking something else:

_- So... what do you believe in? -_

_- Are you asking if we believe in "God" or some particular god?. The answer is... yes and no -_

_- Yes and no?, what kind of answer is that? -_

_- Not an easy one to explain, I´m afraid... as a body, the Expeditionary Force is rather agnostic. It is something mandatory for dealing with other intelligences. The risk of embarking on a war over religious differences is great out there, and the fact of taking a position of respect, even if we don´t share the belief, allows us to be neutral. The recruitment process ensures only the ones willing to put aside their faith are to serve -_

_- That is quite arbitrary. Suppose I want to serve in the force, but don´t want to kill anyone because my faith prevents me... Wouldn´t they let me sign up because of that? -_

_- Then you would be channeled to any of the aid organizations or civil service that the REF has created in recent years. Membership in the army is honorary, but no less valid because of that -_

_- So there is no conscientious objection for you? -_

_- No. Only those who are willing to make the sacrifice, are those who have access to training and formal military resources... -_

The officer observed the face of his companion. He had seen that face before and decides to defuse the situation before it escalates into something intractable:

_- Before you protest... let me tell you something. When the war with the Zentraedi, a large portion of the population died and many of the religions went along. Some of them survive nowadays, but both the originals and those that came after, have little impact on the population, less than before. For us, atheism or agnosticism more specifically, are common ideas. In addition, military service is not mandatory but voluntary, therefore there is no room for conscientious objection -_

_- Only those who are willing to make the sacrifice are accepted... -_

_- Yes. Besides... it´s not like we have many religions out there. Your society have more than we do, because of your "less eventful" history. We don´t engage with cults, in part by our own experience. We have found civilizations on other worlds, with its resulting share of religiosity, but to date, those who leave the force, following the call of a foreign faith are relatively few -_

Robert seems to ponder the answer from his partner. Tries to imagine how life would have been if he had joined the military since childhood. But he rejected that path early. Life on the gangs took that away from him, and when he had the chance, he wouldn´t take it. So far no regrets.  
_  
- It´s enough about me. What about you and your family? - _

Robert closes his eyes, and keeps at bay the sincere grief that overwhelms him. His mind recalls the moments after the EM pulse. When the discharge hit the station, his daughter Susana was standing near them. The girl had turned on her omnitool to capture video of the giant ship. The device that Robert had bought her, was of high quality, "rugged", but not very popular among young people, as he discussed with the salarian that had sold it to him. When he handed it to her daughter, the face of disappointment in her was most revealing. She made a tantrum that lasted for three days, but finally she did use it and became used to the multi-purpose tool very effectively.

It was that strength of the components which prevented her from suffering a stronger electric feedback. Where many were disabled for life or dead, she escaped with only a faint. The doctors later revealed she gained an affection in her central nervous system because of it, in the form of spasmodic tremors, which they dealt with through chemicals and rest.

Long rest and expensive chemicals. She isn´t dead and he thanks for her good luck, but it has put them in a financially difficult position. The doctors have stated that her daughter's condition is reversible, but it could degenerate at long term if she doesn´t get a surgery. However, a surgical procedure in the class she needs, costs much more than he can earn in a year's work. In addition, medicines that are keeping her stable are expensive.

Quite expensive...

That is what makes him decide to sign up for a second shift at the loading bay. A second employment he´s denied because the company is already sub-contracting someone else to cover shifts until new operators are ready. Reviews the situation in his head while thinking that, if he can´t get the credits needed to solve that problem, he will have to sell himself into slavery, steal or worse things...

William sees the desperation pass through the other's face. He´s going to say something, but notes the gesture of his partner and thinks it twice. He watches him search the inside pocket of his clothes and produces a kind of electronic chip. Presses a button and it projects an image treated like an old photograph. There are two women with his cellmate in the background, standing between them, with a gesture of tremendous pride:

_- My wife Eliza, and my daughter Susana... -_ Points to each one _- ...both are on your ship now. My little one was affected by the pulse... -_ his voice is filled with a strange mixture of pride and sadness _- ...and the doctors detected a nervous system illness on her. It can be cured, but treatment is extremely expensive. When we heard the ambassador say that they would provide medical assistance to those affected, we signed up immediately to the program... -_ he stops and breathes deeply.

_- I see.. -_the military says, while looking more closely. Eliza is brunnette, tall and in good shape, without any doubt of European ancestry. Susana´s eyes are the same as her mother´s: Large, a very deep blue color, bright and expressive. Facial structure is, however, the father´s: An oval face in which the features are harmoniously distributed, a dark-brown hair straight to the shoulder and a smile for which, in a few years, guys will do anything without hesitation.

The head of maintenance feels a strange pride. A quote from her own mother comes to mind: "It's the call of the blood". But that couldn´t be. That's not HIS family. Suddenly he feels guilty about what has happened to them. Falls into account about the psychic effect these people have undergone.

Remembers the moment his shuttle landed. He was surprised to find a large group of people with downcast faces, waiting for the transport and freight vehicles with materials for the ship. He was aware that the ambassador had offered to help the affected citizens, but with that number of patients, no wonder there were two and three shifts of doctors working at full pace. The guard rounds on the ship had doubled since they started the trip calendar. He remembers seeing the face of Admiral Hunter, troubled when his wife ordered to accommodate the program. The logistics of coordinating an effort of such magnitude made his head spin.

It is now him who doesn´t know what to say. Life puts oneself in the most unlikely of courses, and if before, the speaker had embarrassed the other because of his barbaric behavior, it now appears as if he was the villain of the story. Distracted as he is, doesn´t notice that the gate that marks the crysteel cell has opened. The Turian who has been harassing them beckons:  
_  
- Hey you!... Someone came to rescue you, space-boy. We won´t report this to the Expeditionary Force, God knows it wasn´t your fault. Just next time try not to get yourself into trouble, okay?... -_

William gets up and doesn´t respond to the police officer. His gaze is fixed on Robert, who beckons him with minimal resentment:  
_  
- Time for you to go... I´m going to stay here a little longer. As I told you, my wife and daughter are on the ship and won´t return until tomorrow afternoon, so I´m in no hurry to get home -_

_- Nice to meet you, Robert Dellyle -_

_- Pleasure is mine, William Jensen. If you get to know about any job vacancy on the Force, please let me know, will you? -_

_- All right -_

They shake hands and he leaves. Upon reaching the main hall of the precinct he´s returned his property. There he finds Adeli and Dareku, an Asari and Elcor whom he´s met in one of the many casinos in the Lower Wards, that kindly offered themselves as tour guides (no doubt motivated for getting to know more about him). Dareku has paid the bail and waits patiently while Adeli makes a look of discomfort to the Turian behind the desk.

_- Anxious questions: Are you okay William?, how have they treated you? -_ asks the massive alien in that monotonous speech so typical of his race.

_- I'm fine Dareku. Thanks. I'll pay you back once we find a terminal - _the human says, getting his things back in his pockets.

_- Carefree claim: Don´t mention it!. Mischievous suggestion: Better pay the next beers! -_

_- Dareku, stop abusing the poor boy!. I'm glad you're okay William, are you hurt? -_

_- Only my pride Adeli, only my pride. But i´ll see those "quacks" of doctors when I return to the ship, just to be sure -_

_- All right. Although I think you shouldn´t wait that long -_

_- Intrigued comment: I'll never understand these human expressions. Hesitant questions: What do you mean by "quacks"?. Also, how can you be hurt in "your pride"? -_

_- Don´t worry about it Dareku. I'll explain later -_ tells the officer, smiling.

William and his party go out of the building. When they see the pink light reflex of the nebula through the roof of the station, the Maintenance Chief pauses for a moment. he looks at the SDF-3 suspended in the void and it reminds him of his imprisioned fellow:

"_If you get to know about any job vacancy on the Force, please let me know, will you?" _

He turns around and heads back to the Tayseri Precinct, dodging the crowd. Their fellow aliens run behind him puzzled:

_- What is happening?, did you forget anything William?... William? -_ Adeli's voice is one of concern.

_- Wait for me a few minutes out here, please - _he stops at the door of the C-Sec station. The officers standing at the door ignore him.

_- Confused: Where are you... going? -_Dareku has reached them, puffing at the effort to move his cumbersome body at fast pace.

_- You´ll see! - _the human answers them and enters the building.

About ten minutes later, William returns to their side with his ex-cellmate, to the astonishment of the aliens. Adeli looks incredulous at the man that accompanies her friend. The physical resemblance between them is amazing. Dareku fails to understand it:

_- Expectant: What does this mean William? -_

_- Let me introduce Robert Dellyle, worker of the Tayseri Ward - _makes a slightly theatrical gesture and Robert lowers his head in approval.

_- Exalted: This is the man who got into a fight with you!, what's he doing here?, how come they let him out? - _the Elcor move its huge body forward, but the other is undeterred.

_- Dareku!... why don´t you let William explain? -_ Adeli intervenes, holding his fellow alien.

The alien falls silent almost immediately, pouting. The other man´s face echoes the gesture. Adeli crosses her arms and throws expectant glances at William, who takes that as his cue:

_- While jailed, we had a long talk. Despite what you may consider as a "less than exemplary behavior"... -_ here the soldier stops and throws a little sardonic laugh the other man wishes to ignore _- ...Robert here is human just like me. That's why I decided to become responsible for paying his bail. I don´t hold any grudges against him -_

_- Incredulous expression: Don´t you keep any grudges?, can´t you remember that he was the one who started the fight why we had to get you out of there? -_ the Elcor says, pointing to the building before them.

_- There is no need to remind me of that, pal - _Robert says, evoking a look of surprise. The aliens are still confused about the uncanny resemblance between the two people.

_- Listen Dareku... I have thought sometimes, about how would it have been if I hadn´t come to serve in the Force. Of all the people I've met both on my home and this new world, Robert´s life is the most similar to what I have wanted for me... (not that i don´t work my ass the whole day, but i ´m a little envious of him having a nice family). Hey, don´t stare at me like that!. The resemblance between the two has nothing to do with it! -_

_- That is an assertion difficult to sustain when one sees you side by side... - _Adeli argues scathingly.

_- Tell ME about it!... I never thought people would say I look like a soldier... - _Robert remarks with an irony that doesn´t go unnoticed to his companion.

_- Ha ha, very funny... the fact is that Robert is what humans call a "kindred spirit"... I don´t know how common is that between your species, or even if you have any similar concept. But among us humans, diversity is so much the norm, that it´s rare to find people that share more than physical similarity -_

_- And that's what made you plead for him with C-Sec? -_

_- Yes, I know we have hurt them in some ways, disturbing their world and the things they know. Some people would have no qualms about it, but we on the REF aren´t like most other people -_

_- Hey!, I appreciate you´ve gotten me out of that rat hole... -_ points contemptuously to the offices of the building across them_ - ...but I hope you didn´t bail me so I could hear your speeches of moral righteousness the whole day... -_

_- Annoyed: You are an ungrateful man!. You should thank your good fortune, you know?... -_ the Elcor is furious, but their partners knows that such behavior is the norm for him.

_- Dareku! -_ the Asari scolds, to which he bows his head in submission.

_- The Elcor's right. I'm pretty ungrateful, I don´t forget it. But i´m not hoping William goes out singing about the moral superiority of the Expeditionary Force everywhere. That's part of what bothers me about you people... -_

Robert says and turns away, offended. Residents and tourists pass by his side regardless of that little drama.

_- Definitely not my intention, believe me. Sometimes I forget I can be a little annoying. What I´m definitely going to do is learn more about you and your family... if you allow me. It's my first visit here and I could use someone to chat from time to time. Besides, one rarely finds someone so physically similar. I don´t know how long we will remain in this dimension, but I sure want to do this -_

He extends an open hand to the other man, in a move that leaves the others shocked.

Robert ponders for a moment. If someone had told him earlier that, before the end of the day, he would have a chance to "make friends" with a soldier of the REF, he would have insulted him mercilessly. Now the opportunity arises and, as things are shaping up, he would be an idiot if he refused what fate is offering:

_- Alright... -_ The worker shakes his hand tightly _- ...Just so they won´t go saying all over that we humans __are a "resentful" bunch -_

_- "One more friend is one less enemy" -_ Adeli says with a smile. The Elcor by his side says nothing, but the grin on his face softens.

As they walk away from the precinct, heading to a bar to finish the day in a better, fanciful way, the Turian officer at C-Sec, standing at the front door of the precinct, doesn´t take his eyes off from them, as the crowd hides their walk. He guesses that nothing that can be written in the activity report of that very night, will convey the sense of wonder and strangeness that overwhelms him.

The chance of having two men of identical features to the point of absurdity, locked in the same cell, is not a given every day...

* * *

Now here it is... **this is for angelus288**, since he asked for this scene long time ago!. Buddy: Almost for months later, but her it is.

I´ve taken the liberty of ending the interims here. There were supossed to be some events on this chapter, that would trigger "unforeseen events", but those are important enough that they deserve a proper chapter.

I apologize for the delay and next time it won´t take that long to update!.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New year for all of you!, see ya!


	12. Eight: Unexpected Happenings

Robotech and their characters are properties of Harmony Gold USA Inc., Mass Effect and their characters are properties of Bioware. There´s no economic remuneration gained from this story.

* * *

Okay boys and girls: First of all an apology. I know the delay between this new chapter and the previous was more than two months (so much for promises anyway). On my defense, i have to say that I've got a NEW JOB. With it came a lot of things, including the first two books of the "Song of Ice and Fire" saga ("Game of Thrones" and "A Clash of Kings"), the Endymion part of the Hyperion Cantos ("Endymion" and "Rise of Endymion"), "Dark Souls" (excellent videogame), and some other stuff. However Mass Effect 3 would have to wait till my next payday (Mass Effect 3 is upon us and i can't finish the crossover part covering the first game, shame on me!, shame on me!).

Anyway... Credits:

To: **GenTheDestroyer**, **Bluntag**, **Tech Jammer **and **Schyte Gravestalker** for favoring.

To: **Lelouche Lampaerouge, Teenwolf2005, avlovin, kayarn, gamegamer1** and **S-4 macross**, for alerting this story.

Last but not least: To **ObeliskOLight** for placing me on the author alert list (even though I hardly deserve it!).

And to anyone i could have forgotten earlier or at this moment.

On to the fray!

* * *

_**Chapter Eight:**_

**_Unexpected Happenings._**

_Admiral Hunter's private quarters, Population deck._

_SDF-3 in geostationary orbit over The Citadel._

Rick Hunter turned to see the mirror in his bathroom, after finishing a private video conference with his wife and fought the urge to hit it hard. Found out his face was ashen. More than just a simple nuisance, what was under his mask of controlled serenity, was anger. The cause was Lisa's attitude. Her demeanor as an ambassador was causing problems, and the talk to dissuade her from taking well-intentioned, however highly unrecommended actions, that risked the safety of his crew, was driving him mad.

First there was the compensation for the damage to the Citadel. They needed to give back to the civilians because of the EM pulse incident. Hell!, he himself had considered the idea and gave permission to it!. The sale of the schematics of the "VF-1" and "VFX-0" was a logical consequence. It was the best choice after they found the sale of the surplus "monopole" they brought with them was not enough, to get the amount of credits needed for a task such as the one they wanted to lie on their backs.

He didn't like giving such technology to his new teammates, considering they were things developed on Earth. Dr. Lang had pondered the question for long and said the beneficiaries wouldn't be able to use those resources as they wished, but it was possible to develop new technology from them. In return, a good amount of credits reached the newly established account of the REF's Office of Cultural Affairs. Resources that otherwise they would have had to negotiate for with other powers, and with his usual share of obligations.

Then came the signing of the Treaty of Farixen and formal induction to the peoples of the Council. With it came the absurd restrictions on the use of Synchrocannons, which had made the representatives of the governments of the galaxy pale.

Although Rick explained them with much determination, that their weapons were the result of a series of unfortunate wars in which they have been involved, and any use of it for purposes of conquest was to break with the esprit de corps of the Expeditionary Force, the aliens didn't feel particularly compelled to believe that assertion. Reactions were not long in coming. Local politicians had begun considering them a greater threat than they had initially assumed, and they had made sure to strengthen the bonds between them, trying to subtly leave the humans aside.

The fact that the Citadel Fleet wasn't one hundred percent operational and also receiving help from the REF was frowned upon. It also brought tension to a certain sector of the population, specifically the one who had "interests" in the torus. The Alliance, through the intermediary of Ambassador Udina (in a rather bold political maneuver), had negotiated for the Third Fleet, under Admiral Sparks, to travel to the Citadel to reinforce the army until the alien replacements, whose arrival was planned for the next three weeks, made an appearance. Of course, the transit between different relays of a massive human fleet stiffens the Turians, but they wouldn't say it openly, even if they secretly take steps to prevent any possible treat by their partners.

It was the beginning of an arms race. One that would create distortions in the political map of the worlds. Something more thing to blame the newcomers.

He wouldn't dare think of the clausule that involved having a liaison officer on his ship at all hours. Lisa had conferred with him for a full day reviewing the backgrounds of the candidates. They were all Spectres with great experience, plus a good dose of diplomacy. Rick could tell they had a healthy distrust of them, manifested in the selection of aspirants.

Eventually the Council decided on who they definitely didn't expect. Once they received the notification and saw the "SSV Normandy" landing on the bay, Rick knew that things had taken an unexpected turn, though not necessarily a good one. Shepard spoke with him, clearly enraged because the alien triumvirate had decided to take him out of the pursuit of Saren and assign it to another Spectre. The political maneuvering had revealed the leaders of the galaxy thought in keeping the Expeditionary Force monitored at any time and what else better than having the first human Spectre for that work, without arousing much suspicion. Captain Anderson had protested vigorously, but Udina insisted that this decision was better than any other. Finally the "new" liaison officer and his group had settled on the ship for several days and the crew already saw him with some curiosity.

The aliens were relentlessly playing their cards as much as possible:

For Rick, it was like going back to the days of the Sentinels. Until recently his teammates weren't quite convinced that the REF wasn't going to become another expansionist empire such as the Tirolians, despite the help the Force had given to them in freeing their planets. The only real supporters were the Karbarrans, that he himself helped to release from the Invid yoke and the Praxians, that appreciated the gesture of getting a new planet. The other races, led by the Perytonians, saw them with a certain amount of suspicion.

In the midst of all the mistrust, only Ambassador Veidt of the Haydonites interceded for them with other races and called for sanity, noting that the cyber-people had externated their trust in them. But outside the Shadow technology development, there was no other clear evidence of support. No scientists had been sent, or ships, or any other kind of support for that matter.

It was like playing a chess game where distrust was the team to beat...

And then there was the program of medical visits. Suddenly he had a group of doctors of various races (kindly provided by the galactic version of Médecins Sans Frontieres, one more of the arrangements of Lisa) and a huge number of civilians visiting the ship. This was forcing the Earth Contingent to maintain a state of permanent alert. In addition, the crew was busy and intrigued by the prospect of seeing the space station, which was revealed as a place full of wonders. The authorization of short-term provisional licenses to deal with those expectations, was the order of the day. Maintaining the efficiency with all these circumstances required twice the effort of everyone involved.

The coup de grace however, came in the last talk with his wife. As if it wasn't enough that several races (lead by the Turians), looked at them badly, Lisa had agreed to meet a delegation of ambassadors from the Migrant Fleet, an appointment requested by a girl named Tali Zorah nar Rayya, part of the team of his new liaison officer, and daughter of one of the leaders of her people. The meeting was scheduled to happen two weeks from now and Rick was about to spend no less than five hours with his nose stuck in the reports of the Quarian people, the creation of the Geth and their current strained relationship with the Citadel.

And Lisa wanted to behave nobly, receiving alien emissaries to the dissatisfaction of public opinion and the disapproval of several politicians!...

Not that he didn't loved her. He wouldn't have agreed to share his life with her if he didn't. It was just that... sometimes... her behavior was a bit irritating. He could understand the "noblesse" coming from her. The "soft diplomacy" as she called it, was her specialty. However, in these circumstances, he didn't consider conducive such an approach to the current political situations they were involved in.

The old ex-pilot didn't know what to think. If this was what it meant to be part of a community in which his military command was constantly undermined, then that part of the equation he didn't like very much. The negotiations to help them investigate the strange phenomenon that had brought them to this universe were being delayed, basically because everyone expected to be rewarded with the possession of their technological secrets or political support. Both, things that their neutrality forced him to not compromise.

And there was the fact that the galactic community had found of their use of A.I.s. Slow, similar to the so called "Virtual Intelligences" that were things of every day on this corner of the universe, but without the restrictions in performance, so characteristics of the latters. Half the galaxy was over them because of that (and they couldn't be blamed, after the Geth fiasco). Only the political maneuvers of their diplomatic corps, in addition to the show with the synchrocannons, had deterred the more radical groups from retaliating. The Alliance also frowned upon them, especially after Eden Prime. And the fact that Captain Anderson was on the line of fire, trying to appease both sides, put them in a delicate situation.

To make matters worse, one of the scientists of the Robotech Research Group, who was "allowed" in the Citadel, was still missing, despite having looked for him for almost five days with the cooperation C-Sec and there was no trace of his whereabouts...

The knocking at his door brought him back from his dilly-dallying. That parsimonious way of announcing himself could only be from...  
_  
- Go ahead Max! - _ordered without turning back to see, while walking to the private desk from which sometimes he cleared his business.

The slim and perfectly military silhouette of Max Sterling appeared in the doorway of the large room. He was wearing those old blue aviator lenses from the times of the SDF-1, that were an unmistakable part of his image. In his hands danced a bottle of "Zaraiba", a liquor made by the Karbarrans, which he had taken much a like lately...

_- Guess you'll need a drink, after seeing this - _he uncovered said container and served a measure of a purple distillate with wine-like consistency, in a clean glass of those stored for personal use.

_- What's it about? - _Rick asked, taking the drink and drink and gently.

_- Remember the spy probes we sent to the corners of the galaxy before we found Captain Sparks?... -_ the leader of the REF nodded_ - ... just got this info transmitted by one of them -_

The blue haired man gestured to his arm, invoking one of the new Logic Arrest omnitools that had been given to them a few days ago. One more of the initiatives of Lisa. This one however Rick couldn't find any fault about. Although he hadn't yet mastered to perfection these new devices, he wasn't about to deny that they were very practical. Max accessed the content and his partner carefully observed the video that the tool was showing:

A starship, with the body segmented in blocks and communication antennas resembling spines, protruding from its surface, as if it was a gray caterpillar. A strange configuration the old ex-pilot identified as the one that had attacked them on the Omicron Sector, appeared in the holographic image. This strange monster made port contact with another ship, which looked like a giant metal squid. It was a little larger than a Zentraedi battle cruiser and, next to the first, it made her look like a normal boat next to an ocean liner. In the picture there were connecting bridges between the two transport locks.

When the show ended, the Admiral's face had darkened.

_- There are several questions roaming in my head Max, but the most important ones are: How did that ship followed us?, and what is that metal monster it is docking with? -_

_- Those are good, mate. If the crew of that ship can answer them, perhaps they can tell us how to return home -_

_- Which probe is this info from? - _

The officer looked gravely at his pale-blue haired friend. That could make things even more complicated.

_- The one we sent to explore the equivalent of our Psi sector. The transmission originated in the center of the area, in the vicinity of a planet that is not on the maps of the Council -_

_- Is there more? -_

_- No. In fact, the probe didn't go unnoticed, and was destroyed before it could send us more details -_

_- Which means whoever is in these ships knows that they have been detected -_

_- I think so... It would be wise to recall Lisa and prepare to make a travel -_

_- I agree. She may not want us to leave until we have completed our commitment to the Council, but this may be our only opportunity to find the way home. Put the ship on combat alert and be ready to evacuate the civilians, we will cancel all permits and part in two hours -_

_- Rick, there's something else you should know... -_

The discreet hum of the comm. speaker resounded in the room, interrupting them both:

_- Guess It'll have to wait pal... -_

Hunter approached the comms desk and typed a few things on the touch screen. Lt. Commander Penn's blond factions appeared before him, displaying a look of contained anxiety. Behind her he could see the brunette Adelle working hard at her terminal, giving instructions with overwhelming speed.

_- Admiral: We are receiving an unidentified transmission in real time. Its encoded with a quantum encryption similar to our own Ultra-line system. It doesn't conform to communication protocols of the Council races. It is a civilian who calls himself "The Illusive Man" and requests to speak with you -_

Both male officer's eyes shone almost in unison. Sparks had mentioned that character, part of the leadership of the radical group known as "Cerberus". Rick himself had commissioned the REF Intelligence, to find all possible information about them and other forces that could pose long-term problems.

It hadn't been an easy task. They had found information about prominent militias, including the Salarians Special Task Group and the security organizations of the Terminus Systems, better known as the mercenary groups. But Cerberus has proved to be little more than a ghost. What was known of them was little and confusing. They operated under a veil of secrecy that had made them survive as an organization for so long. Both officers could imagine what the human radicals wanted, to risk breaking the curtain of disinformation about them. However, it would be better to know by word of mouth...

_- Karen, redirect the signal to my cabin. Isolate us from major communications systems and get the signal encoded. Make sure there are no records of this message other than the ones this machine generates. The level of authorization access to this information is Top Secret -_

_- By your command Admiral. Re-directing... -_

The image of the girl disappeared, to be replaced by a man who had his back to them, standing against the light. Rick displayed the message on the giant monitor wall of his room. Both officers could see the speaker, who was walking in front of a cyclopean picture. Orange and yellow fires that seemed liked the convulsed nuclear reactions of a star.

The man turned to see them, taking a long drag of the cigarette in his right hand:  
_  
- Admiral Hunter!. Such an honor to meet you. You and your combat forces have been the talk of the galaxy during the past week. I see Commander Sterling will also accompany us: The best Expeditionary Force pilot. I appreciate the attention given to me -_

_- The Illusive Man: Rumored leader of the pro-human group "Cerberus". I have read your manifesto... interesting document. But you better tell us: What is the reason for this unexpected communication? - _asked Rick unimpressed.

_- My interest is to discuss a situation that concerns both of us more than anyone Admiral: Mankind -_ the man's tone was firm and determined.

_- What about it? -_

_- Mankind is blooming in these times, as you undoubtely know. With the advent of Mass Effect technology, the people of Earth are in an unprecedented position to expand into the universe. Yet you know how dangerous that can be. I understand that you come from a reality in which human presence in the stars is a common occurrence, and in which, humans are at war with extraterrestrial intelligences -_

_- Right. The result of an unfortunate first contact, which forced us to give birth to the Robotech Defense Force and their successors: the Expeditionary Force and the Army of the Southern Cross -_

_- Armies dedicated to contain and stop any external attacks that have occurred over the years. In this regard our organizations are not very different. If you read my manifesto, you know what the mission of Cerberus is -_

_- Having a guardian to protect humanity from any emergent alien threats. Certainly a noble ideal, but... has anyone mentioned to you that it boasts a biased rhetoric, worthy of the most rampant paranoia? -_

Max stepped from behind Rick. The Admiral couldn't help but smile, if only to himself.

_- That comment is unfortunate, coming from officers of a civilization that has experienced firsthand the debacles caused by interstellar wars. However, it is a cruel joke, since we both know that, right now, the peoples of the galaxy look at yours with suspicion -_

_- I don't know what motivates you to say that. Our relationships with the galactic neighbors are good, and while keeping them is not an easy task, due to the circumstances of this first contact, I wouldn't go as far to asserting what you suggest... -_

_- Do not take me for a fool Admiral. The Council... - _The man took a long puff on his cigar_- ...is slow to react to many events occurring in this galaxy. But when it recognizes a threat, it's resources to cope are vast. I know many people regard you with suspicion and at least two of the biggest races are watching carefully. The choice of Commander Shepard as a liaison officer from the Council is so politically motivated as you suspect. The Turians wanted to put one of their own for this work, but the Saren's fiasco has damaged their reputation. That's why came the commitment to allocate Commander Shepard, despite the important work he has been carrying out. Many individuals in the various governments of the major races, consider him a loose end. If he had been given carte blanche to take the necessary steps to catch Saren before, in light of his recent actions these individuals don't seem too sure that course of action is a good idea anymore. They prefer him to be around and have a careful vigilance over their other biggest problem, though for the Turians it means courting the Alliance -_

_- A conclusion that our own analysts have predicted as well. You seem very aware of the Commander. Do you have any special interest in our new liaison officer? -_ Rick asked, looking where the conversation was going. He wanted to see how much the man was willing to play the game of honesty.

_- As part of my work, Admiral, I must be aware of every potential allies and enemies that I can win for the sake of my cause -_ commented the Illusive Man without giving too much importance to the answer.

_- And in what category do we come? -_ Rick asked, suggesting only the slightest threat, posed as condescension:

_- You tell me Admiral: Your forces have proved they can face the best of the best in this galaxy, with ample opportunities to come out victorious. Such aid to promote the interests of humanity would be greatly appreciated -_

_- I'm afraid you're mistaken. We're not an army for hire. Also the way you say it, doesn't inspire too much confidence on me... - _Rick sat in his desk chair, and gestured to Max, who decided on remain standing _- The first impression that comes to my mind, about your way of seeing things, is that your view seems vicious and spiteful ... -_

_- This is not about bitterness, Admiral Hunter... - _Said the man with the cigar with a slight hint of disdain _- ...it's about vigilance. The Councillors are blind to what is beyond the interests of their home worlds. They don't want to make any sacrifices for the common good, because they fear paying the political price for it. That is why the Spectres exist... - _Behind him pictures of different individuals that made up the most powerful controlling force in the galaxy were showing. Asari, turians, salarians, all captured in different facets of his work appeared. Ultimately, the Image of Commander Shepard overcame them all:

_- ...To solve the problems that they don't want to or can devote too much attention. A group with the skills that yours have shown, is one that hardly can be taken lightly, in spite of what many problems burden them already -_

_- Bah!. There are exaggerated accounts of what we can do. I think you'll find as I suspect you already know, that much of the information we have provided the Council and public opinion is not entirely true... at least in some details -_

_- I know Admiral. I expected no less of you. I also know that your intelligence group can't falsify the showings to the military, of these wonderful technologies that your ship has ... -_ This was followed by an incoming frame, showing images of the fight with the Citadel Fleet, in addition to the demonstration in the farthest end of the system, of the main weapon _- ... The Omnidirectional Barrier and the Synchrocannon for example. Let's not forget your medical machines and the fighter planes which your navy boast. None of these things are exaggerated, and in the right hands, they could change the face of this universe -_the box gave way again to the man, sitting in a chair and drinking an amber glass with liquor.

_- Many of these are privileges, provided by our alien allies, or developed over more than forty years of conflict. Barring the medical technology, which has been leased to the Sirta Foundation and other medical companies with our consent, none of the other stuff is negotiable -_Rick maintained his composure as best he could. It wasn't the first time someone asked for their weapons. Nor would it be the last.

_- Admiral... let's not play the game of moral rectitude. Is not true that you gave the schematics of some fighter planes to both aliens and the Alliance? -_asked the man, containing a neutral face. Rick heard Max stir uncomfortably behind him.

_- Those were sold... against my better judgment -_Rick kept the gaze of those piercing blue eyes, where he guessed technological implants of some kind. Those eyes were cold-frozen and it required his full strength not to look away.

_- Ah yes!... technology that... I quote your report verbatim: "We don't believe that the beings of this dimension can operate properly, at least for a considerable time, due to their energy requirements and the engineering knowledge necessary for proper use" -_ a second screen box divided into two . On the right side of the screen were the schematics of the veritech sold to the Turian Hierarchy, Asari Republics and the Alliance, followed by scale models and virtual demonstrations.

Rick was beginning to lose his patience. That conversation was proving a spectacular waste of time. He could almost tell where it would end, when he realized that this report the Illusive Man was mentioning, was stored only in the network of the ship. The hairs of his neck bristled slightly. Something was terribly wrong.

_- ...And everything to give compensation to the people of the Citadel. Have to admire the nobility of both you and your wife, Ambassador Hayes. Because those affected are not only humans, but many alien races, and your group is not making any distinction... - _Said the man in the fine suit. He sat in a chair that looked quite comfortable, while having a prolonged inhalation of smoke. The Machiavellian figure could see through the screen, the sign Hunter made to Sterling and how he left the Admiral's cabin in a hurry.

_- ...it's because of that same commitment you have shown, that I appeal to you, to help me do a job that can only magnify Mankind -_

Rick came to the screen to be perfectly framed:

_- Flattery doesn't belong with you. Especially when you calls us to cooperate with your agenda. The Force was created to defend humans from possible enemies. Domination of other races is not part of our creed -_

_- On that regard we act the same way Admiral -_

_- Don't you tell me!. What we know of your activities doesn't support this assertion. Your "operations" seem rather practical demonstrations of what happens when one gets in the way of your "small" enterprise... -_

Rick could see an almost imperceptible twitch on the man's right eyelid. A trivial sign of discomfort in what looked like a steel mask. He could tell things weren't sticking exactly to the path the Man had conceived:

_- Admiral... -_ The supreme leader of Cerberus left the cigarette in an ashtray and took the glass of amber liquid on the right hand _- ...what Commander Shepard has __told you about us, is unfortunate. It is a false perception, born of misinformation. Still, while there are still groups like the Batarian Hegemony, or the slave-traders of the Terminus Systems, which act seeking the detriment of humans, truth is we will have to react more swiftly and harshly than the usual Alliance response. I fear that as a body, the supra-government of the Earth is full of interests and ambitions that don't allow people to reach the great galactic civilization role it deserves. That's where we come. Our goal is to facilitate that goal -_

_- But you prefer to act as an independent group, bypassing regulations and not caring to answer to anyone but yourself!. What guarantees to me that once you get enough resources, you won't disown those principles you speak of? -_

_- You don't have to worry about a dual agenda on our part. I have said it on previous occasions and I say it now: "The reasons of Cerberus are the reasons of Humanity." If my methods are harsh, it's because our goal is justified. But I hope you will believe it, not just because I say so. You yourself should understand it better than anyone, since you come from a world that was devastated and it's still dominated by alien forces. If you question my motives, ask yourself: What would you be willing to do, to free the people of your land from the clutches of their enemies? -_

Doubt clouded the face of the old pilot. His brow wrinkled and his hair almost completely gray and white, became more pronounced in the monitor image. He recalled the giant Neutron-S warheads and thought about the order to use "scorched earth" tactics, which he had given to the Reclamation Force if things didn't go well. He had bitterly regretted that decision when he was alone. Not knowing if the liberation of the Earth had been successful, was something that oppressed his heart every day, and he was deeply afraid to return home to find a black hole of monstrous proportions, in the place where his planet should be. He paused a few seconds that seemed an eternity, and when he looked up, met with the steely blue eyes of the Illusive Man, still waiting for an answer:

_- As much as I understand that your motive is fair... -_ The old Admiral sighed, as if trying to expel from him the weight of countless years _- ...I can't afford to believe it. Not when your actions don't have any brake or supervision. I fear that as a military leader, I must take into account all possible consequences of using my arms. Admittedly, I come from a world that was ravaged by aliens, but I've made a decision of this caliber before, and I can't allow because of my weakness and for the sake of a beautiful dream, to fall on my conscience the misuse of these resources -_

The Man heard the answer and remained silent for a second. He finished emptying the glassl that he held. Once he left it in place, turned and faced the determined look of Rick Hunter:

_- You disappoint me, Admiral. Perhaps the information we have collected about you is not legit. I fear that we have erred in estimating your strength and your ability to take the necessary decisions to ensure the survival of humanity, neither __in this nor in any galaxy. I can only say that this won't be the last time we talk... -_

Having said that, the monitor filled itself with static, an unmistakable sign that the conversation was over. Max entered the room hurriedly:

_- The technicians found the source of transmission of the incoming signal!. It comes from the landing storage area. A team of specialists and soldiers is underway to find the exact location -_

_- And our liaison officer? -_

_- It is being notified right n... -_

An explosion rocked the ship and made the two friends lose their balance momentarily. A low rumble came into the room, followed by the siren of combat. An incoming communication shone in bothof their omnitools. Rick struggled a moment with the controls and a second later Adelle's altered voice came over the speakers:

_- [Combat Alert!.There has been an infiltration on the ship!, this is not a drill!, repeat!, this is not a drill!]-_

* * *

Skye Turnick retreated to the metal walls of the corridor before her, while the rest of her team returned fire. Soldiers blocking their way were holed up at an intersection from where they were shooting. She left her rifle and threw one of the last disc grenades at her disposal. The explosive stuck to a wall of the crossroads and a second later exploded with devastating force, sending the enemy in all directions. Several of them didn't rose. Her own people stepped forward to secure the place and to wipe out any remaining injured.

They continued on. In the distance she could hear the cries of the poor unfortunates who had crossed the path of the Rachni soldiers and Thorian Creepers, both species modified to obey the commands of Cerberus, which had been smuggled to the ship. She had to bribe various officials at the Citadel, and create specially modified containers, covered with electronic sensors and camouflage to avoid the biomass scanners that were part of the REF security. Fortunately for them, they could get their hands on an enemy scientist that had "kindly" revealed several of the existing security measures, after pumping into him some "friendly conviction". The amount of resources that the Illusive Man had poured for that raid had been great. And similar results were expected from it. He even had brought her from her interrogation facilities on planet Trident, to lead this operation, and given her military background, expectations were high...

She didn't have enough of a death wish to fail the Man, unless she found a way of disappearing from the galaxy without a trace. Which was quite unlikely...

_- How much left? -_asked to the technology specialist who had been brought with them, a Quarian named Khazar Al-Durne:

_- Twenty meters in a straight line and five to the right. The servers are marked by my drone in that direction -_he pointed down the hall, to a room protected by metal shutters anti-static.

_- Okay. You!... -_ she pointed to a group of operatives wearing the white and black, sturdy and unmarked armor of the organization _- ...secure this area and get rid of whoever appears here. Call reinforcements and make them patrol these corridors if necessary -_

_- Yes ma'am! _- The three soldiers who had been appointed immediately snapped.

She left behind the others, while making a mental note of how many troops she had already lost. He didn't like the people in the military branch. Many of them were rabid fans of the cause, with a gunmen attitude and few notions of how their actions would change the long-term human history. She had to hide her displeasure when the boss ordered to overlook her own unit for this assault. She had to recognize however that they were good at their jobs. Many of them could drill a third eye in the head of an individual with a gun at more than five hundred meters. Not to mention what its biotic and technological powers could do...

And all of that wasn't enough. On average the Expeditionary Force soldiers were as well trained as them. The difference however, was the equipment. It was possible to hack a Cyclone armor. She had done so with one of the poor saps who had faced them along the way. But it wasn't possible to maintain control of the device for long. There was a factor in the configuration of that technology which she hadn't taken into account. It had been as if there was a consciousness in those machines, that would inhibit the effective use of the captured resources.

She couldn't explain it with certainty and really had no time to find out why. What mattered at the moment, her heart beating a mile a minute, was to reach the neural informatic center of the ship and link to the server. Once the quarian specialist was put to work, she would get the needed information, he would drop an undermining virus that would destroy the local network, communications and life support of the ship, allowing them to run away unopposed.

There was also the issue of the abduction of the scientist. The Illusive Man would turn her his new right hand over that frigid bitch Miranda Lawson, when she take him Dr. Emil Lang!.

Pulsed a few buttons on her omnitool and quickly established contact with the second group. The hype generated by the shouts of the crowd and the sound of guns greeted her:

_- This is Alpha... Bravo Team: Sitrep! -_

_- [This is Bravo: We're going through the corridors of the ship. Diversion tactics have been successful and the enemy is focused on defending the civilians on the ship. Our group is advancing rapidly, encountering minimal resistance. ETA on the goal in three minutes] -_

Skye smiled broadly. The plan went out without a hitch. If they could keep the situation for six more minutes, They would make themselves with information and resources they had never dreamed of.

_- Report back when you have secured the objective, Alpha out -_

Soon they reached the computer crossroads of the spacecraft. The master node was on the bridge, according to the schematics they had devised from several recon visits to the ship. But the flow of data from the computers was concentrated in that little spot they were going to. They'd found a door shockproof intercepting them, and a guard which had been dispatched promptly. Khazar had intervened, hacking the control mechanism and had lifted the door manually with little effort.

The node was nothing more than a relatively small utility room, where only two people could be without unwittingly nudging each other. There were bolted panels and power lines that were unlike anything she had ever seen. The partitions, multiple lights and indicators which threatened to induce her a migraine, hid bundles of wires in neat order.

For the Quarian that design wasn't new, as he said:

_- My people have already experimented with such designs and discarded them because of their insecurity... -_ he added _- ...this system is similar in appearance at least, but somehow it is more efficient as an engineering solution. That, or maybe I'm giving too much credit to these humans -_

Skye ignored him and the hacker began his work, without paying too much attention to his own conjectures. He placed a few links to the data cables that would transmit the signal directly to his omnitool, and programed the sub-cortical node in his head to do the rest. Almost immediately he went into a trance:

_- Proceeding with data extraction. Comparing communication protocols. Eighty percent support, enough to perform the designated work, but will take three point fifty minutes longer than expected. Detecting defense heuristic solutions. Virtual intelligence present greater than class twelve. Suggested course of action is to activate Attack AI... Attack Intelligence on. Facing system defenses -_the Quarian said in a monotone voice.

It gave the human woman chills every time she saw the alien connect, turning his brain into an extension of the cybernetic systems in which he was entering illegally. It was like playing Rugby with a group of malicious Krogans without using any protection. The power of many nodes he was so fond of entering, could fry his brain nodes and the rest of his head without much effort. However it was known fact that every time he returned to his body, he was still the same stubborn and paranoid rebel the organization used as his usual hacker.

Risky business it was, but certainly the guy was a professional. In an era where "hackers" were few and tended not to take risks, because of the many counter-measures deployed against them, only two names guaranteed absolute confidence, and Khazar Al-Durne was one of them... as long as they could pay him enough...

Good thing Cerberus had no problems in the financial part...

_- Secure the area!.We have to give the guy all the time he needs! -_ The woman ordered her people and prepared to resist, thinking that if she failed, the Illusive Man would use her skin to feed Varrens.

* * *

Dr. Emil Lang looked at the results on the screen to his left and flashed a look of undeniable sufficiency. The old scientist brought with him the image of a genius, of the caliber the best men Humanity had to offer. The guy of strong German descent didn took it seriously. In his opinion it was wrong to compare himself with names that had set critical theories and advances for the species, like Einstein or Tesla. Of course that was just a dose of modesty many thought didn't suited the individual who had deciphered the secrets of Robotechnology and whose contributions had helped defend the Earth from three waves of alien invaders. However, he didn't thought the same, preferring to bask in the (somewhat naive) idea that his investigations were designed to be much more than just the basis for building better weapons.

He looked behind him. His team had just finished re-assembling the chassis of Dana's hovercraft after the necessary field testing. They evaluated the mechanical device in different gravity conditions. What he found, he liked. The prototype had worked as expected and resistance of its materials was excellent. The particular characteristics of the mass effect reactor weren't unknown to him, and it would even let him anticipate certain problems and possibilities that the local scientists themselves hadn't imagined. He didn't boast about it and reminded him that sometimes it was better to clear his mind with other projects, to then continue pounding the problem that was to explain how they had reached such diverse reality, and more importantly, how could they return home.

The alert had reached them when they were in full verifying of the weapons systems. The security detail, with Lieutenant Watanabe upfront, an old acquaintance, secured the area. The doctor was not averse to the military presence on Science Deck, but his team didn't take the situation as calmly. There was a discussion with the officer, when his men were placed in the doors:

_- Protocol dictates we must take you to the safe room doctor... - _The mighty Japanese pointed towards one of the reinforced rooms_ - ... you and your team until the alarm passes. If that bothers your men, is inconvenient, but they'll have __to deal with it -_

_- I agree Lieutenant. But I can't hurry them. This is not as simple as stopping the test and leaving everything as is. We have to turn off the systems or they could damage the structure of the ship... -_

_- Do what you have to, doctor, but do it now!. Commander Sterling is going to skin me if he knows we are even discussing this -_

Lang said nothing, but the harried look on his face hinted everything for him. He ordered his subordinates to stop the maneuvers and secure everything as much as possible in five minutes. He couldn't spend more time as he wanted, since it would've taken at least ten minutes and cause more frustration for the military man. Oh!, how it annoyed him the protocol!._  
_  
He was finalizing to deactivate the weapon systems of the tank when he heard screams coming from the hallways. A soldier crashed, thrown by something or someone, on the armored windows over the door when Watanabe approached to verify. The men who were with him were immediately put on guard and raised their H-90 rifles. The officer nodded to indicate them to fall back when he heard a grunt at the end of the hall. What they saw left them speechless.

Rushing towards them, came a horrifying cross between an insect and a crustacean, brandishing long arms ending in pods. Limbs in general seemed like menacing whips, ready to strangle the poor wretch closer to them. Their shrill cries confirmed its inhumane nature and for a moment it conveyed them a sense of discomfort that caused many a chill. That was not alone. Running in parallel, a host of humanoid creatures, who had long claws on their hands. They noted with horror that had no eyes and their skin looked rough at first sight.

Emil had never been a brave man. His own flirtations with violence had led him to face some miscreants bigger than him, when he was a little lad in his neighborhood, in the throes of the German Democratic Republic. At the time, those fights taught him to value intelligence more than physical force, something the children of his age couldn't appreciate. While they competed and flaunted their athletic skills, he kept doing whatever necessary to tune up his mind to new standards.

Nervousness fell unto him like a stone in the stomach. Those things were fast approaching and the soldiers took up positions to repel the attack. He felt bitterness building up in his throat and forced himself to concentrate to not panic. The only thing he could think at the moment was the problem of the Everett Interpretation. Accepting that it was a topic as good as any to keep his mind focused, concentrated on it:

_- The Tengmark's taxonomy of universes says there are four possible variable multiverses... -_ The soldiers pulled him to the safe room while those things were approaching the security gate _- ...According to the measurements we have taken __so far, this new universe looks like... in theory... a Class III... -_

His thought process was interrupted abruptly by the sound of glass breaking, disturbing signal that the bigger anathema had entered the test room. The soldiers turned to greet him with their Galant rifles discharges, while other scientists came in sharp panic. The old man forced himself to concentrate while evading one of the humanoids that was coming to him:

_- ... The Multiverse class III, the quantum mechanics interpretation of multiple universes of Everett, says that because of the multiple measurements of quantum mechanics, each observation of a quantum phenomenon can and represents a different universe... - _The creature before him made a mad rush against him, only to be stopped and projected backwards by the fire of another soldier. Fear grabbed him again, but he wrestled with it to keep the concentration while peering around, trying to separate his mind from the dose of unreality that was threatening his perception_ - ... in such universes the structuring of matter and physical constants are similar to a degree of almost equality. The only thing that makes them different are the results of the different possibilities relevant to the quantum level... - _The screams and cries of pain of his fellows dangerously reminded him where he was. Several of the "zombies-without-eyes" were persecuting the scientists as the soldiers tried to stop the large creature. The sweat on his forehead was beginning to bead it:

_- ...There are similarities between this universe and ours, though not all are shared. This is not an alternate reality, but a different Hubble Volume whose cosmological horizon is different than ours... -_

He ran to the chassis of the hovertank at full speed. Activated the cabin just in time. The largest creature was lunging for him. Jumped just in time to avoid the whiplash. A second later he saw the suffering body of Lieutenant Watanabe being projected by the creature to a wall, with a mortal cry that ended with his head cracked and bloody, shattered by the impact. The defenders that were standing still brought down the creature. The confusion ended in minutes. It had left five of their comrades fallen, between soldiers and attendants, their body armor violated by some kind of acid or torn by the claws of the others.

The scientist gave a sigh of relief and looked at his hand. He hadn't felt that much adrenaline since the days of the Sentinel's campaign. Standing still were only a couple of privates, one of whom cursed out loud every second, hysteria preying on him.

The doctor left the cabin and scrutinized all around. The lab was destroyed. Electrical components were scattered everywhere, prototypes and models of projects broken or stained with the blood of the creatures or their peers, broken glass and panels and the bio-contamination alarm howling wildly. The sordidness of the environment attacked him frontally and only his mental discipline prevented him from arching and vomiting at the sight of such desolation. He's never been so close to the line of fire before, and once he had seen it, he didn't like it at all.

Suddenly shots came from the door. The soldiers who were recovering were instantaneously fulminated, among the shock and panic of survivors. Focus fell on a group of people in black and white armor, who came walking over the bodies, pointing their rifles (mass effect rifles identified by the doctor) to anyone who tried to move:

_- Don't do anything stupid and no one will be hurt. ¿Dr. Emil Lang? -_One of them spoke to him, one whose armor was more distinct and appeared to be the leader.

The scientist didn't immediately respond, although his aides threw glances of surprise. Whoever were those guys, they didn't seem to have good intentions. With the altered state the ship was in, any help would be delayed. Without the slightest trust in their new assailants, the old man decided to save time, at any cost:

_- Was sagen sie?, Nicht verstehen! Wer sind sie?... (Say what?, I don't understand!, who are they?) -_said to his companions, trying to look as confused as possible.

The others stared a moment, honest confusion painted on their faces. He added:

_- Geh weg!, Geh weg! (Out of here, go!) -_tried to look angry, gesticulating and waving.

The leader activated his omnitool, which translated what he said on the fly. He quickly fired back:

_- Enough of the games doctor!, You're coming with us for good, or I fear that your peers can be hurt! -_

_- Ich spreche nicht die Sprache!, gehen sie nun! (I don't speak your language!, get out immediately!) -_Lang approached one of the men threateningly. The guy reacted the way he expected. A butt stroke led him to the ground, severely bruised and bleeding from the blow to his nose.

_- Doctor! -_there were shouts behind him. His aides tried to do something but stopped short, frightened by the pointing guns.

_- Do not mistreat him... too much. Orders are to take him alive and unspoiled... -_ The group's leader was right to lean on him _- You're forcing us to this. Stand up! -_

The doctor tried to get on his feet slowly. he had to dilate them more, but they were not willing to waste any time. Stultified by his reaction, the leader produced a mass effect gun and shot the nearest target, one of the assistants, who lay dead on the floor of the laboratory. Emil cursed himself. To physical pain and distress, he would have to add the unnecessary death of one of his colleagues.

Hit the ground with his fist and looked up. He couldn't see the expression of the enemy soldier in front of him, because of his closed helmet. He could however imagine a satisfaction smile on his face:

_- Okay... no more dead. I'll go with you –_ he wouldn't turn to see the pricked faces of his assistants, for fear of revealing too much of his own mood.

And then it happened. Overwhelmed as he was, suffocated because of a broken nose the other had left him, overcame by the violence and spurred by fear, his mind became more lucid by the moment. The theory of space folding came to his head, along with all the other data obtained from the strange phenomenon that had brought them there. Logical relations and possible theoretical gaps fom that disparate event, came together with the data it had collected about the mass effect and its relationship to space and time. His mind glimpsed, as if there were fire lines that delineated a figure made of light, the inherent possibilities in that function of space-time continuum splitting that had just discovered.

By carefully structuring his ideas, he could develop a theory to meet his needs...

He could return his people home!

His cognitive processes also warned him that while their enemies remained there, ready for anything, there was no such possibility. In a split second knew of the relative positions of the attackers in the room. The perpetrators were stopped in the range of the ion gun, the tank's secondary weapon. He had set a trigger to operate the vehicle remotely in case of an eventuality. And the weapon systems were working... (not that they had realized anyway). The control tablet was lying near him. Two seconds were enough to know what he had to do...

_- Move on doctor!. Quickly! - _the Cerberus soldier nudged the other, giving him a tug to get up. The doctor moved quickly, pretending the other had planned with excessive force and pouncing onto the device. The pressure on the tactile indicator was sufficient.

The surprise on the faces of the attackers was capital, when the vehicle became remotely activated, while the triple barrel, MIW-20 ion gun, which was mounted on the chassis came back to life. In less than a second, more than 10 Megajoules of particles bathed their personal shields with enough electrical charge to exceed the safe operating levels and turn them off. Neither was fast enough to throw themselves outside the range of the strike. It had cost them their lives.

The doctor stood up with difficulty. He had rolled out of the range of attack, but he hadn't left unscathed. A third degree burn was present on his side, in addition to that queasy feeling of one who has been subjected to radiation poisoning. His assistants came to their senses almost immediately, while he struggled to turn off the device. Some ran to secure the guns, while one of them went for a first aid kit. The old scientist would appreciate any drug to relieve and isolate him from the pervasive feeling of burning, which threatened to make him faint. Decided it was easier if he focused his mind on analyzing the performance of the tank. The remote system should be improved in some things, but it had worked well in general. Enough to save their collective asses.

A voice came from the doorway:  
_  
_-_ Securing the area!, Medical help is needed on the Scientific Deck! - _A contingent of REF soldiers came along one of the liaison officers of the Council, at the same time the boy who had gone to get the first aid kit returned promptly.

_- More of these creatures!, What did you say was the name? - a_sked another soldier from the back, approaching rifle in hand, to verify that the monster was really dead.

_- Rachni... those things are deadly in close combat. But it seems that their weapons made a "number" of this one - _answered a young Turian with blue armor, as Dr. Lang noted for his physical appearance and tone of voice. The alien looked at the dead monster and then went to the doctor, whom was being given a dose of pain medication:_  
_

_- I'm Garrus Vakarian, with Commander Shepard's team. Your wounds look pretty bad. I suggest you remain still while i apply a dose of medigel, while medical assistance arrives. It will help keep you stable -_

The Turian approached him, conjuring his omnitool. It took him a couple of keystrokes and a dispenser appeared, dislodging itself from one arm of his armor. He was to apply the remedy when something took him out of balance. Behind them, the Rachni sodier had risen in a last effort, despite receiving several volleys of the others guns, still reeled, alive but only barely. Garrus raised his rifle and activated his armor shields immediately, in time to get the impact of one of the tentacles the creature in its death rattle, had planned against him. Despite this, the bursts of micro-particles of the miniature mass effect reactor of his weapon, embedded in the brain of the creature, with the extraordinary aim he always boasted. Shields were effective in repelling the coup against him. Dr. Lang however, still with him and without any kind of defense, wasn't so lucky.

The alien fell, struck and finished off by gunfire from the other soldiers, the Turian fell back, off balance and the doctor landed over the corpses of his peers, rigid and motionless. The cries of the assistants led a chill of death in those present:  
_  
- Man down!, man down!, Where's the damn medical assistance?... -_

* * *

Rick Hunter entered the Bridge in a hurry. He asked for a status report to Adelle and Karen, who had coordinated the efforts to keep the crisis under control. Dana Sterling in person had taken command of the soldiers, to coordinate the search and destroy force. Minutes earlier he had received news of Commander Shepard, stating that he and his team would help with the efforts of "cleansing" of the ship, because of its unusual experience with the alien whom he called "Rachni" and "Thorian Creepers."

The bulk of the attacking force had conducted their maneuvers against civilians and the doctors that were helping in the medical effort. That's where the Spectre and his group were focused. Meanwhile they had identified two cells that split from the main body. One of them was on their way to the Scientific Deck and left elements in his way, to create pockets of resistance. It's likely target was Dr. Lang and the research projects. The other splinter had stopped in one of the maintenance subdecks, specifically in one of the nodes where the flow of computer data could be intercepted. The database servers in the local network could be accessed remotely from there. The most important projects, as always, were housed in isolated nodes on the local network, but even less relevant data on the linked terminals were a source of intelligence that, if the enemy (Cerberus no doubt) extracted, could provoke them severe headaches.

The protocol required the energy flow was cut off, to prevent any intrusion, but Adelle had discovered that, whoever had entered the mainframe, he inoculated a number of viruses that sent orders to sabotage life support systems, and undermine control of the secondary reactors, which were always on standby. Such thing could mean that, if the electricity was cut, many systems would go out, the external airlocks could be opened automatically and the security systems of the reactors could fail, bringing them to the point of critical mass. Either option wasn't very pleasant.

It was like being forced to reach into a box full of poisonous snakes...

Computer experts were struggling to eliminate the enemy presence in the system, but so far they hadn't achieved much. Rick repressed the throbbing need to tear his hair at every second, keeping a neutral face, though not entirely devoid of emotion. However, when the main specialist of the ship approached him with the idea of reviving the Zentraedi Artificial Intelligence program, the ex-pilot learned that things had reached the critical point:

_- It is very risky, I know. But the alien A.I. is a sufficiently aggressive program to neutralize the viruses and the attacker. Since our own systems are based on allies technologies, the A.I. won't need any time to adjust to their new environment -_

_- I don't doubt that monster can disable the attackers. But once it has finished with them, how do we stop it? -_asked the Admiral, his face sorrowful, deeply pondering the question.

The Zentraedi A.I. was the product of a series of joint investigations between REF scholars and its giant allies on an electronic construct which (according to some Tirolian programmers consulted), the Robotech Masters had developed in its early stages, from the remains of an ancient A.I., found in their travels. In various tests of ability, the program was extremely successful, yet highly invasive and unstable. The Force decided to have some units in reserve, in the hope of achieving better control over them. The very Janice, who had been the subject of study of Dr. Lang for a long time, was a highly attenuated version of that program, and was always seen with suspicion by the middle, and some officers of the upper echelon.

If they decided on releasing the beast, there was a serious possibility of losing the ship, and their lives with it...

_- It occurs to me that when It gets to drive out the intruders from the system, we can force a disconnection, restarting from the last backup of four hours ago. Of course, the minimum time between shutdown and restart is seven minutes - _said the specialist, while doing calculations on a tablet that he had. Silence reigned on the bridge.

_- Seven minutes in which both the ship and reactors would drift out of control... -_ said the former pilot with a look of deep concern. Situation was cornering him.  
_  
- It's poses a risk. The difference is that we wouldn't be anymore at the mercy of the enemy... sir -  
_

On the man's back, Adelle had paled, stopping her frantic keystrokes and turned to see them, with a frightened face, while Karen struggled to preserve the appearance of serenity. If they proceeded, there could be a lot of chances of failing, but at the moment were many possibilities of the enemy retrieving valuable information as well. There was no time to lose:  
_  
- Karen, how is the cleansing of the ship? -_

_- Colonel Sterling just communicated: The common areas of the aid program have already been cleaned. Commander Shepard states that they have wiped out the creatures that walked away towards the inner areas. The group that had entered the Scientific Deck has also been neutralized, but Dr. Lang was injured and is in serious medical condition. Only the group connected to the computer node remains -_

_- Damn... alright!. Inform all decks that we're about isolate the areas of personnel and civilians. Order the Search and Destroy parties to retreat to the secure rooms and offices. Notify our technicians, they must keep stabilized the reactor manually, while the operation is complete. Specialist: You have permission to release the construct. We are starting the procedure in three minutes -_

_- Yes sir! -_

Air suddenly became heavy. He was about to play a risky bet again and he didn't want to. Luck could very well abandon him this time. Anyway, there's no way to escape without risking lives, so he accepted the consequences without complaint. Had he known how things would going to be that day, he would've decided to stay in bed.

A few minutes later, air was loaded with unbearable stress:

_- Releasing the Zentraedi A.I. in 30 seconds ... -_

_- All decks isolated!. Damage control teams ready for action! -_

_- Computer specialists ready to start the re-installation of the system on your mark! -_

_- Releasing the A.I. in ten seconds... nine... -_

_- Services of the bridge ready and waiting! -_

_- ...four... three.. two... releasing the program... Full load! -_

Rick and the others turned to see the main screen, where it appeared a new indicator, blinking on the left side of the screen. A deep voice came out of the speakers:

_- A.I. 2-A53N687, activated... detecting disruptions of local network control. Starting counter-measures! -_

Adelle gestured with her right hand, sketching a cross over her chest. It was an old gesture, belonging to one of those dying religions on Earth, designed to ward off the fear that this "construction" inspired her. Had it not been a flagrant violation of the protocol, Rick would have done the same...

* * *

The explosion coming from the corridor was sufficient to determine that things were not going the way Skye Turnick wanted. Her men had stopped the soldiers of the Force with the help of their powers. Several of the attackers had fallen charred, with the remains of their weapons and armor cast and their bodies burned. Some of her men hadn't been so lucky though. She wasn't able to contact the Bravo team and had the strong suspicion that her own escape had been compromised.

Khazar had said that downloading would finish in thirty seconds. At that very moment the enemy database would be completely purged. Once the info had been retrieved, they would return to the landing area and cause a decompression. Once ejected from the hull of the monstrous ship, they would be intercepted by a fast transport that would take them to the Citadel. The ships of the Council would give chase, knowing that it would be impossible for them to reach the nexus of mass relays. However, the plan was to flee to the space station. They would be trapped by the port authorities, some of which owed several favors to Cerberus. Once there, the information would reach the Illusive Man by safe means and she could devote herself to escape from C-Sec.

The plan wasn't without risks, and so far it was coming out as planned. But confidence could induce errors. When the enemy soldiers were pressing more and it seemed that everyone was going to die there, they decided to withdraw. That gave her the creeps. What kind of tricks they were up to?. The monotonous voice of the Quarian took her out of her reverie:

_- Database removed in its entirety. Activating wipe out routine and destruction commands... WARNING!, new Artificial Intelligence program inoculated on local network. Analyzing...WARNING!, impossible to determine the capabilities of the attacking A.I. Recommended emergency override on neuronal connection, REPEAT, recommended emergency overri... -_

The alien had no chance to say anything more. Skye's hair bristled from head to toe seeing how the display on the Quarian's helmet became hazy. A series of violent convulsions shook him and the bright eyes behind that long helmet faded suddenly. His body was suddenly flaccid and limp, as if he were a stuffed animal a child throws away after playing with. A strange liquid began to pour down the seals of the suit, hermetic before. She didn't need to figure out what had happened, nor expected to have to explain it. She extracted the omnitool chip of the dead body and stored it in hers. Checked the integrity of the data and then ordered her still remaining four men, to evacuate the place.

A few minutes later they were running through the halls, which were suddenly empty, security alerts in red and orange lights, ringing nonstop. Some gates were opening and closing dangerously and electric current peaks, visible on the lighting panels of the ship, were becoming progressively more pronounced. It wasn't the product of some virus the alien could have inoculated into the system. The dead man didn have any time to activate any order of sabotage. She could only think that, whatever it was that the REF technicians had launched, it was extremely harmful and they were playing a more risky bet than she allowed herself to imagine.

She didn't spare more than a second thinking about it. For all she cared, they could rot in hell if that was their fun. She led her small group through the corridors that lead back to their entrance point. But it wasn't a trip without difficulties. One of his soldiers received a burst of energy that fried him from head to foot, when a huge explosion shook the ship and made him crash against a pair of damaged cables. Another one was roasted violently when a wave of flames from the explosion of several circuit boards wrapped him. Another one was shot in a violent manner when the internal security turrets spontaneously activated and used him as target practice.

They got as they could to the shipping lounge. The strange effects preying on the ship began to subside, while she and her remaining partner prepared to activate an external hatch and rush into the void. It was literally a leap of faith and she kept thinking that if the pilot of the team wasn't good enough, they would regret it.

A few seconds away from opening the gate, the alarms ceased completely. The soldier that still accompanied her sprang to alert when he noticed the doors of the shipping lounge opening. A search and destroy team entered, moving silently and searching the corners of the room. A second later they became aware of the strangers. Skye didn't hesitate anymore. The decompression alarm sounded, and the soldiers opened wide his eyes, revealing recognizable silhouettes of panic through the visors of their armor. One of them managed to shoot her partner, smiting him full in the chest, when the pressure difference rushed them into the void. She saw the face of her companion going away in an erratic path. There was no life in his eyes.

Violence of the fly out pulled her. Then she felt an impact against a hard surface and realized that her magnetic boots were glued to the contour of the shuttle that was commissioned to collect them. She saw one of the rare fighters of the REF pouncing on them, ready to turn them to bits. But the lifeless body of her companion served as a shield, hitting the canopy of the ship and disorienting the pilot for a few seconds. She thanked internally the futile gesture and went through the gate that had opened on the shuttle. Once inside she sealed the division and hit the wall, telling the pilot to lose no more time. They weren't still saved, not even remotely.

A transmission made her omnitool spring to life:

_- [Did you get what we need?] -_the stolid figure and voice of Miranda Lawson greeted her.

_- Yes - _she said, her voice icy. The second in command of Cerberus didn't inspire her any confidence.

_- [Your capture is imminent. Transmit data by secure channel right now!] -_

The operative's mouth twisted into a grimace of disgust, but the violent maneuvers to which the spacecraft was subjected, indicated that it was quite possible that they might not even reach the Citadel. She activated the quantum data transmission of the tool and started the download. All of the database: Plans, strategy reports, intelligence and technology reports... things the Expeditionary Force should have never written, arrived suddenly to the safe house of Cerberus in the Citadel. All in a heartbeat.

When the transmission was over, the sly smile of Miranda was all she could see. A chill ran down her back. With that devilish woman one never could know...

_- [Mission accomplished, Turnick. Now you are officially a loose end. It's not personal, but you know well what happens with the loose ends ...] -_

Skye said nothing, as she was undermined by the experience. She just looked to see how the hatch separating the cockpit from the cargo compartment was retracted. The one who should be a human pilot,revealed itself as an android, who turned to her. In place of the face, where the visual sensors should be, was an holographic interface, which displayed a countdown in large numbers, with less than three seconds to finish. The thought flashed through her mind like lightning.

She had failed half of its operation and the Illusive Man wasn't one to tolerate failures, partial or not...

The bridge had become a mess within the next minutes. The occupants had endured different events that had made the situation dangerous. The computer technicians had begun the restoration of the systems as soon as the A.I. reported the attackers had been neutralized. The real battle began there.

The artificial construct didn't submit readily and at least three people were killed when it defended itself. The various overloads to various systems threatened to completely disable the ship's life support. The senior specialist was working at full speed by issuing commands to disable all possible functions that the "monster" could use to counterattack. Nightmarish seven minutes later, the A.I. was cornered and disabled, a feat no less different from pulling the tail of a hungry and malicious lion. Several of the resources of the ship wouldn't be able to work at full capacity for a while, and for two minutes they had had the threat of a catastrophic failure hanging over their heads. One that the heroism of the individual maintenance officers had managed to subvert.

Thus, against all odds, they were still alive...

Rick wasn't really surprised when he saw the small Kodiak shuttle that had eluded his fighters, explode into a thousand pieces. Adelle had detected a transmission via Ultra-line towards the Citadel. That raid nearly cost him his ship and he was ready to find the maximum range of operations of Cerberus, now that they had taken the trouble to so openly declare war on them:

_- Karen!, sitrep! -_

_- The damage to Medical and Scientific Decks of the spacecraft is extensive, and there are various failures in critical systems. There are air leaks in watertight compartments three hundred to three hundred and twenty. Power failures in some components and subsystems. infirmary reports that total casualties during the assault come to twenty of us, fifteen civilians were killed and fifty others are in critical condition. There are six ruined Cyclone armors and we had managed to capture enemy equipment. None of the attackers survived -_

_- Or so it seems -_ he heard the comment behind him. Max entered the bridge, followed by Commander Shepard and Dana Sterling. All of them came armed yet.

_- Karen, get the maintenance crews up to speed with the repairs - _the former pilot ordered promptly.

_- Yes Admiral! - _the blonde turned to her terminal, sending the relevant commands.

_- What do you have in mind Max? - _questioned the Admiral, addressing his companion.

_- These actions tell us a couple of things. First, Cerberus is willing to do whatever is necessary to get their hands on our technology, and they'll be relentless in trying. Second: Their contacts and resources are vast, to be able to smug such a biological load under our noses, with all the search and analysis tools at our disposal -_

_- That fits with what I know of them ... - _Shepard said, crossing his arms in a gesture they had seen him before_ - ...they're not afraid to attack targets as strong as the Alliance, if they decide to pry too deeply into their affairs ... - _The image of the lifeless body of Admiral Kahoku passed through his mind in a flash_ - ... and the conditioning of the Thorian Creepers and the Rachni, is the best proof of their lack of scruples. I can't tell who is worse, either them or Saren and the Geth -_

_- D__ifficult question, Commander. And I fear they'll become a big problem in little time. Therefore it is best to adress it promptly. Adelle discovered some kind of transmission similar to our own Ultra-line, which originated in the ship trying to escape. She could trace it back to the Citadel, to the Lower Tayseri Ward for accuracy. We would appreciate your cooperation in coordinating with C-Sec, to search at the point of arrival. And I will ask you and your team go with my troops as an advisor to them, given your recent experience with this terrorist group -_

_- I'll be more than happy -_ the military outlined a smile, the first they had seen him in the last three days.

_- How is Dr. Lang? -_asked Dana, who broke her usual silence. She worried about the old scientist, to whom she had taken some liking.

_- He's at the Infirmary at this moment. Dr. Salazar says he should be dead, but I guess he's too much lucky for that. We don't know when or if he will awake. He had been induced into a coma so that his body can recover. From there on out, even with the medical advances available to us, there's no hopeful prognosis -_

The Sterling said nothing. She immediately saluted and ran away. Neither Rick nor Max did to stop her. Shepard also excused himself, saying he had to go prepare his team. Once only the two senior officers of the ship remained, Hunter sank in the command chair, overwhelmed as he was. Max came up to him.

_- I guess going and meeting the other ship is out of the question -_the blue-haired said, recalling the information they had received before all the hubbub.

_- Yes. Engineering reported the folding system became broken, one more of the victims of this assault. Repair can take several weeks. More, if we consider the doctor is disabled, and unable tio help us. Either way we are going to continue stranded here! -_Rick didn't refrain himself from the act of hitting the armchair of his command seat with his fist and taking a deep breath. Karen returned to him at that very moment:

_- Communication from The Citadel. It's Ambassador Hayes. She urges to talk to you -_

_- Tell her to wait a minute, I'll answer her on my private office... -_the ex-pilot got up from his chair and worked his way to his chamber. He asked his first officer:

_- By the way... What was it you were going to say? -_

Maximilian glanced at him and invoked his omnitool:

_- There are reports of a giant ship in the so-called "Terminus Systems." Intelligence discovered this ten minutes before the attack... - _the holography jumping from Max's left arm wasn't very clear. The officer loaded it to the ship's systems and the image appeared on the giant screen. Rick snorted and the operators of the bridge could only hold their breath:

There, besieged by several ships of that universe, was what looked like a Robotech Fortress-Colony ship...

* * *

Next chapter: Commander Shepard's departure from the Citadel and a new companion to the team.

Rate and review!

Thxs!.


	13. Nine: Crossroads

Robotech and their characters are properties of Harmony Gold USA Inc., Mass Effect and their characters are properties of Bioware. There´s no economic remuneration gained from this story.

* * *

Hello boys.

What?, missed me already?... Alright, alright... lie down all those pitchforks...

Si.

I am aware that I disappeared for a while and didn't update this story. I could tell you a thousand things about how I had a mental block for three weeks, how I had no time to write, and so on. Actually I'd rather give you the next chapter of "Shadows of the Reapers", for you to assess whether it was worth the wait. If after reading this, you still want to kill me...

I won't blame you.

I can take some long time to write a chapter, but until i decide I'll leave the story for lack of interest and SAY IT, I'll always be back. Eventually.

As always, thanks are the order of the day:

Ioshua, nightwolf2790, Jonas Copperwire and Extortion for favoring.

HolyKnight5, hanatoro, druth, Jonas Copperwire (again, this time for alerting), Gabbyel and Lesychan (who also has this story over his/her own comunity).

Mentions to Gubaba and dhampirkinfolk, for also giving me a chance on their communities.

Also CMR Rosa and The Kay One for placing me on their author alert list (hope I can live up to it).

Anyway. No more chatter and let's go with what follows ...

I almost forgot!. There is a new format in town. You'll see it as you read this chapter. This is done as a result of some of you saying the way I do text format is a little weird. I've tried to emulate the usual text format of books written in english language (since it's not may native tongue. It remains to be seen if I did it right). In later days I will be reforming the story to fit this new format (and maybe add the odd new line). If you do not want to read it again, do not worry: The story as you know it, will not change. I'm just going to present some few arrangements, such as when they relaunch movies filmed in 2D, adapted to Digital 3D, or with three or so minutes of new scenes (yes, I'm looking at you, "Avatar" and "Titanic")...

Anyway. Format goes like this:

Normal text.

_Thougth is written in italics.**  
**_

[This is radio or comunication channel's banter]_  
_

_"This is message format".  
_

-this is for remarks or comments-

It's not really diificult to get. And some of you (hopefuly) will appreciate it.

Onto the story...

* * *

_**Chapter Nine:**_

_**Crossroads**_

_**Lower Tayseri Ward, The Citadel**_

_30 minutes after the attack on the SDF-3..._

Garrus Vakarian adjusted the Kuwashii visor he always carried, to his left eye, calibrating the optical circuit for calculating the distance of the objects around him. That eyepiece had become a fetish, an integral part of his image, and he never parted of it, but on exceptional moments. That custom came from his time in the Turian army. His instructors had drilled into his head without mercy or consideration, that the equipment of a soldier should be treated with utmost care. A notion which, when applied to practice, had some hieratic overtones.

He reconfigured the device to enter Search mode. It wasn't as sophisticated as the ones of the Palaven's specialists, but unlike those, the former detective had personalized it to his very liking. Now, through it, he saw the district's activities develop in a kind of uneasy calm. As per the request of Admiral Hunter, he had informed C-Sec of the plans of the Expeditionary Force. Executor Palin had commissioned former detective -now captain- Chellick, to help them. While preparing the mission, an altercation with firearms was reported in the very same place where the comms specialists had located the receiving point of the stolen info. So, while his former colleagues secured the outside of the building, establishing a security perimeter in a hurry, Commander Shepard, Ashley Williams and himself, prepared for the assault on the safe-house.

The REF was very insistent that only them, along with some of their own operatives, perform the operation. That pissed the people of C-Sec a great deal. Despite that, Garrus saw things for what they were, just another occurrence of this work. One that caused the nuisance of his former colleagues.

"Are you ready, Garrus?"

The Commander's voice told him, without even looking, that this was similar to other routine tasks, such as those carried out on the Normandy. Then he realized: Wasting smugglers on inhospitable worlds, disabling fugitive A.I.'s, destroying Cerberus bases and facing threats the caliber of the Geth, among many other niceties, weren't nearly routine missions...

"Say the word Commander!."

Smiled to himself and took his Avenger. He didn't want to leave his Mantis sniper rifle, but the battle conditions dictated that the assault gun was more useful for indoors-combat. Chief Williams would carry a Scimitar shotgun and a Kovalyov asasault rifle folded in her back, as a reserve weapon, so firepower wasn't going to be an issue. In the hands of the soldier, both were deadly weapons. Shepard carried his own Spectre-class weapons and once they were ready, a couple of REF operatives, clad in those deadly, though bulky convertible-armors, came forward to them:

"Commander Shepard!," Garrus recognized already the particular figure of the blond-headed Colonel Dana Sterling. "We'll cover your back. We'll be using channel three-nine-seven for communications," she said while attaching the Cyclone helmet to her armor. Then signed to her subordinate to surround the building, both entering through the rear.

Locke gave his own order and immediately they rushed up to the esplanade of the main entrance. No one came to greet them. Whoever had rushed in, didn't leave any sentries on the perimeter. At a signal from the man, the Turian forced the board control panel, which regulated the main door, with a few taps of his omnitool. Subverting the code of those mechanisms wasn't a difficult thing, but doing so in quick fashion was a different matter. It required both subtlety and attention to details. Virtues that not many possesed. To his luck, his years as a C-Sec detective had taught him all kinds of tricks when it came to electronic devices.

They walked over to the stairs of the building, in the standard combat formation that had become already second nature to them, while commanding the elevator up to the eighth floor as a means of distraction. Trying to go unnoticed, took the stairs and started climbing to the third floor, where technicians had located the receiving end of the Cerberus transmission. According to the plan, a highly-focused and subtle disruption field would've been established, matching their approach to the entrance, which would serve as a jamming signal for enemy comms, and only selected frequencies provided by the REF would function without problems.

A message from Dana entered the reserved frequency:

"[Commander: We neutralized a couple of hostiles on the perimeter. Men in unmarked black armor and armed with assault rifles and heavy pistols. They clearly weren't expecting us, so it is likely that, at present time, the enemy is not aware of the operation. There's activity on the third floor. At least three elements. Two of them doing guard rounds about ten meters from the main air shaft. We have audio of the department. Relaying:

_[What is the password, you lousy bitch?, tell me and you won't suffer too much!]_-a penetrating voice, with a threatening tone.

_[I don't know what you mean!]_ - A female voice screamed hysterically:

_[S-seriously, I don't know!, i only wanted a cup of coffee!.]"_

"Hostage situation," the military quickly assessed. "Secure the exits. Coming into the operation area."

On that voice, Locke put out his head slightly through the door of the third floor hallway. He saw one of his allies crouching in a corner, hidden in the shadows, ready to jump over one of the black-clad men, which walked a few feet from him. The other guard was standing near the entrance of the elevator, with his back to the group. From his third opponent, he had no location. Almost immediately Dana's voice came over the radio:

"[I'm in position to neutralize the third hostile. Awaiting your order, Commander]"

Shepard called the shot. The REF commando jumped on the unsuspecting sentry, stabbing him directly at the base of his neck with the high-speed vibro-blade attached to his left wristguard. The kinetic shields and armor the military equipment companies of the galaxy fancied, were designed to minimize impacts of particles as tiny as a grain of sand, accelerated to a fraction of the speed of light. When trying to repel a blade composed of a buckycarbon fiber-titanium alloy, more than a million times bigger than the average calibrated impact mass, and vibrating at a rate of five-hundred times per second, there was no possible defense. A gush of blood came out of the neck of the victim, but the sound it produced was almost inaudible.

Shepard ordered Ashley next and she jumped out of the door. The other man was turning to see his companion, when he found himself squarely before the Gunnery Chief. A martial arts throw and a stomp on his back, were more than enough to incapacitate him. A noise coming from the adjacent hallway alerted them. All turned at full speed, only to find the third hostile, with the chest fully perforated by a particle beam. Dana came over, nodding and pointing to the door of the apartment.

Without expecting an order, Garrus focused on opening the door, while the noise coming from the inside forced him to hurry:

"Let's have some fun!"

"No!. Let me go, damn it!"

The violence of the voices made the Turian lose his focus for a second. That kind of things were not exactly his forte. Tali could have done that job in less time. _Too bad she decided to stay and help Engineer Adams..._

"Garrus..." Ash muttered behind him, on urgent tones. The situation was degenerating inside and there was no time to lose.

The alien struggled and regained his concentration on the task at hand. The door lock was opened without the slightest noise. Ash placed herself on the left, Shepard on the right and Garrus remained at the front, the others behind him. The Spectre gave the order and they entered the apartment as swiftly as a tornado.

The perpetrators weren't aware they had them on top.

Upon entering the main room, they found two men in the same black armor of the ones outside. One was leaning against the wall, a rifle in hand, watching the scene before him, with half-disguised malice. The other wasn't wearing a helmet and struggled to remove the bottom part of his armor. On a side-shelf was a Predator handgun, probably belonging to the attackers. And kneeling before them, was a slim girl with glasses and black hair on a bun, tied hands and feet. She was dressed in a way that accentuated her perfect forms, her hair tousled and messy, and a bruise splashed on her face. Nearby, three bodies lay inert, with the distinctive black and white armor of Cerberus.

The alien's military training came into play quickly. In a split second, aimed to the one threatening the civilian and fired a single shot, which became embedded into the assailant's head, leaving a small hole in the attacker's forehead, and causing a cry of horror from her. Ashley turned her Scimitar IX at the chest of the laughing one, and fired a few times. Several impacts formed in his armor, coming from the woman's weapon, and unbounced by any kinetic barrier. The poor sap didn't rise again.

Shepard nodded. Colonel Sterling and the other soldier checked the rest of the place. Five seconds later, the shout of "clear" told them the threats had been completely neutralized.

"All clear, Commander!," the REF officer mentioned.

Garrus however wasn't so sure. Things had gone very well, excellent in fact... he had this strange feeling that something was missing.

"Don't hurt me, please!... I just came over for a cup of coffee..." the civilian whimpered and her voice was near the point of hysteria.

Don't worry, miss. My name is Ashley Williams, of the Systems Alliance," the Chief went to untie the girl, while Shepard established communication with High Command. "Just a moment and we'll get you out of here," she said, as she took her off of her bonds.

Meanwhile, Garrus was going mentally over what he was seeing. Furniture, walls, circuit boxes, electrical installation. Nothing was out of place, except the bodies of the Cerberus operatives on the ground, and a civilian that seemed to have no real reason to be there. A situation suspicious in itself, assuming the enemy knew they were going for them and that the REF would do everything in their hands to recover the stolen information. He had expected a more hectic operation. Perhaps luck had favored them and the terrorists leader's hadn't anticipated such a quick response. He didn't believe it. His gut told him he had missed something, but he couldn't lay a finger -or a talon, more precisely- at what it was exactly...

"Area secure. There are five enemy casualties and an mildly harmed civilian. Request medical assistance", ordered Shepard to the microphone in his armor.

"Copy Commander. Admiral Hunter wants to talk to you. Switch to holographic transmission please," said the voice at the microphone. The man oozed nuisance at every pore, but focused on not showing. Adjusted a few things in his omnitool, while the others checked the bodies.

Garrus wondered for a moment, while Shepard conferred with the leaders of the operation: Admiral Hunter, Ambassador Hayes and Captain Chellick. The last one, an old acquaintance. The first ones, the most recent figures on the political scene of the galaxy. He didn't envy the role of the Commander in such a gathering of personalities.

He was going to escort the girl out, to take her to the doctors, when the inquisitive image and voice of Lisa Hayes, coming out of Shepard's omnitool, stopped him short:

"[Mr. Vakarian, could you ask the civilian beside you about her name, and tell her approach the camera, please?.]"

The Turian turned immediately to the holographic projection and replied politely:

"Sure, Ambassador."

Shepard walked up to them, while Garrus gestured to the woman, stopping her walk. The extraterrestrial approached her to the camera, while asking:

"Can you tell us your name, Miss...?"

Garrus Vakarian had seen the faces of many criminals in his time on C-Sec. The faces of some of the most vicious and violent ones had surprised him, by the ease with which they turned from frenzy to quietness. It was an occurrence that had taught him the many facets of the worst the galaxy had to offer. While watching a fleeting smile crossing the face of the civilian, accompanied by a gesture of confidence that was misplaced in a frightened kidnapping hostage, Garrus stiffened. Perhaps his mind was playing tricks on him. But the hysteria and fear, shown previously over her voice and face, had disappeared. Instead, a serene visage and the sexiest voice he'd ever heard, said:

"My name is Circe Stilwell... but I think Ambassador Hayes already knows that." The smile he thought had imagined, was actually there, true and patent.

Both Shepard and Garrus crossed glances of surprise, which increased in short, when the firm voice of Admiral Hunter ordered:

"[Commander: Please arrest and escort Miss Stilwell to the command post.]"

"Under what charges, Admiral?," asked the military, frankly puzzled by what had just happened:

"[Conspiracy, espionage and illegal possession of classified information of the Robotech Expeditionary Force!.]"

* * *

Miranda Lawson, in her present false personality of Circe Stilwell, waited for the escort group, made up of three elements of C-Sec and two soldiers of the REF, all of them heavily armed, and presided over by Commander Shepard, to finish assembling and positioning around her, with a frown of indifference. She had been kept waiting a bit, to verify her history and certainly as a measure to make her nerv++++ous before "escorting" her to the provisional headquarters, set up in the precinct of the Lower Tayseri Ward. Circe Stilwell, the mask, whose provocative personality was nonetheless the facade of an insecure and capricious child, would have immediately become nervous about that fact. Miranda Lawson instead, the epitome of human perfection and a true believer in the work of the Illusive Man, did not deign to let anything other than the most sincere boredom, to become her.

Using such a rough tactic against her, was to invite disaster. His father, the prominent tycoon Henry Lawson, had "worked" on her more than any of the other "daughters" that he had "comissioned", with the sole purpose of achieving the perfect heir to his vast mercantile empire. He had spent hefty loans, giving her everything she wanted, but considering it another investment. One of those that had allowed him to become one of the richest men in the galaxy. Her education was the best that money could buy, -which was more than excellent-. Her physical skills were unrivaled. Her biotics made many human and asari practicers pale, not to mention her intense training in various disciplines such as the use of weapons, tactics, subterfuge, seduction, espionage and a long string of etceteras. The icing on the cake were her extensive genetic modifications, that his father had commissioned to experts from a thousand worlds...

She represented the stretching of the concept of "humanly possible", to unexpected reaches.

Her life outside the controlled bubble that her father had grown around her, made her aware of many of the political situations in the interstellar community. Especially some of them with whom she disagreed. Still, one person couldn't compete with the huge tides that defined the course of entire civilizations.

But an organization such as Cerberus surely could...

She imagined the momentary smile of satisfaction of the Illusive Man. He had calculated with great precision the circumstances, and so far he hasn't been proven wrong. When he first mentioned the plan, she wasn't sure the sturdy dignitaries of the REF were to fall for such chicanery. The last few hours, however, had been a confirmation of how great the capabilities of manipulation of her boss were. The behavior of the Admiral and his wife had been predicted and was being fulfilled almost point by point.

As the troops escorted her to where the representatives of the authorities were awaiting, she cleared the way for the next part of the strategy. She directed her batteries against the man whose job was to monitor her:

"Commander Shepard!. Finally I have the pleasure of meeting you in person. I've been very aware of all of your actions" she said, while letting the soldiers guide her.

"Silence!", ordered one of the C-Sec officers, without stopping.

Shepard didn't answer, perhaps warned by his own experiences with her co-workers. But the girl could see his jaw clenched slightly. Good...

"Commander: No matter what you have seen or heard of us, I can assure you that Cerberus is not your enemy."

"Silen..." the guard was about to remonstrate again, but an order of Shepard stopped him:

"Tell that to Admiral Kahoku!," he said, turning to her as they approached the entrance to the precinct, in one of the upper platforms of the ward.

Miranda said nothing, only studying the slightly annoyed soldier's face. Shepard received no response and was about to turn again to move on, when Miranda spoke:

"Admiral Kahoku was an unfortunate victim!. But in this kind of circumstances there is always collateral damage..." her voice didn't present the slightest contrition.

The tough Shepard approached, facing her, and causing looks of suspicion of the other escorts.

"Your organization killed the Admiral for discovering too much of their operations!. Explain how does that fit within the definition of collateral damage?." The man was strong but not overly muscular. He knew how to intimidate people, and that gave him an aura of slight savagery, that the girl considered very sexy. But she wasn't scared. Miranda had seen more appalling things out there.

She just smiled wryly:

"Sometimes Commander, the rigidity of the military conflicts with our way of doing things. If I were to have a credit for everytime the Alliance bureaucracy blocks any aggressive initiatives to ensure the safety of mankind, I could've probably bought the entire galaxy by now."

"The terrorist methods your group uses, undermine any good intention or reason you may use towards your defense!." The officer stuck his piercing gaze on her. The passion and charisma of the man were undeniable, but Miranda refused to fall for it.

"I didn't expect this streak of ingenuity in you, Shepard!. Think about it: Desperate times call for desperate measures. And Saren and the Reapers are not going to take things with the same dose of ethics!," she commented while scrutinizing the man's brown eyes:

_Let's see how he reacts to such a sting..._

"What do you know about the Reapers?." The guy broke Miranda's personal space, aggressively.

_Right on the money..._

"More than you care to know". The girl moved away slightly, in a perfectly timed gesture to show submission, staying on the space the soldiers had formed around her. "But that doesn't seem to matter in the heads of your liders. Rather than letting you continue the hunt for the renegade Saren Arterius, they just confine you to an alien spacecraft, to serve as glorified "errand boy" of the Council." She injected a sufficient dose of scorn in her voice. Only the minimum necessary.

The Cerberus agent could see the seriousness and professionalism of the soldier, subtly dilute. The right emotion was there. She had only to exacerbate it a little...

"Isn't it true that Saren has proven himself an elusive opponent?, that in concert with the Reapers, he can be considered the greatest threat to the galaxy right now?..."

She could taste the man's indecision in his eyes. He was racking his brain, choosing between his duty to the Alliance and the Council, and his need to pursue whom he considered so far his biggest rival, and the greatest threat to the galaxy.

And Miranda could see all his dissatisfaction reflected in a slight flicker of his eyes.

All of it.

"This conversation is over!." The Hero of Elysium ordered the escort and turned to ignore her. She took him by the shoulder:

"Do you really think you can remain unmoved, when the galaxy is about to go to waste?." The officers drew their guns and pointed to her, but the girl didn't budge:

"I dare you to look me in the eye and tell me frankly that you can do it!... no?... I knew it!." She looked to the others askance and then fixed her azure gaze on Shepard, whose face was an expression of anger. He ranged from her face to the hand resting on his shoulder.

"It matters little what you know about the Reapers. After what I've seen, i don't trust Cerberus." With that, Locke Shepard, angry and abruptly, withdrew his shoulder.

Lawson just smiled:

"You don't have to, Commander. Just remember that "The reasons of Cerberus, are the reasons of Humanity"." She watched him outline a frown of doubt:

"You don't believe me?... Soon you will."

The man started walking again, and the others came to force her to move. Miranda threw them a look that could freeze Hell all over, and left them behind. She was sure that the dart had penetrated very deeply into the soul of the Alliance officer.

Everything was happening without a hitch...

* * *

Garrus and Ashley were both still in the safe house. The commander had ordered them to support their allies as much as they could. The Turian knew a bit about technology and was advising the technicians of the Expeditionary Force. The hardware in which the database was stored was cutting edge, and despite the versatility and effectiveness of the REF when it came to accessing enemy systems, the process of retrieving the information would still take a while.

_Tali or Kaidan would have made things easier_, he thought. -In fact, if there was anything Garrus recognized about the now defunct human, it had been his extensive knowledge of electronics and his ability to adapt his techniques to the needs of the situation-. He had found the guy nice and little prejudiced -for a human of course!-, and in some ways he was a better sidekick than many others he had, in his years as law enforcement officer.

Virmire had turned all of that into dust...

_Damn you Saren!, as if we needed more mud thrown over the Turian honor..._

He turned to see his colleagues:

Ashley had made friends with Colonel Sterling, that way human females tend to go from casual treatment to bitter fellowship. He had seen the Colonel previously. First when the attack on the SDF-3, having been among the first officers who helped them repel the onslaught of the creatures Cerberus had brought onboard. After that, he had seen her when she got to the infirmary of the ship, asking for the scientist whom Garrus had helped.

Used the present conjuncture of events to ask:

"Colonel... How is Professor Lang faring?"

In Dana's face, a gesture of concern was painted. The blond-haired sighed, and then answered, listless:

"He's in coma. At the moment we don't know whether he can recover or not. The toxins that monster injected him are most incisive, and caused much damage to his body. Even with the therapies available to us, we are not certain about his recovery..."

"It's a shame. May the spirits help him!," mentioned the Turian, offering his sympathy. From the moment of the attack, the image of the old doctor collapsing at his side, had lingered in his head.

Dana's face was one of astonishment. Ashley stepped in.

"He means sorry," she mentioned, promptly adding: "Garrus is a good guy... when it comes to Turians, of course!"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Chief."

"You're welcome, Garr... heh!." Ash said with some malice. Dana laughed heartily.

One of the technicians made an exclamation of triumph that didn't go unnoticed by others. The Colonel went to ascertain what had happened and meanwhile the Turian stepped away from both women. He still had that nagging feeling around the edges of his scales. That one telling him something had happened, they had not contemplated.

He reviewed the facts in his head quickly:  
_  
"Cerberus attacks the SDF-3 and steal important information, at the cost of the extraction team's lives. The info is relayed to the Citadel, to one of their safe houses. Upon entering it, we find that the site has been attacked by men in black armor, whose description matches the group that attacked the Zakera Ward Precinct almost two weeks ago, allegedly working for the Shadow Broker, as mentioned by Captain Chellick... How did they learn of this operation?, is Cerberus willing to make an enemy of the Shadow Broker?..."_

There was a moment of uncertainty in his mind, caused by the implications of such a line of thought. Suddenly he noticed a very slight bump on the wall. Approached over and ran his hand over it.

Yes, there was something there...

Calibrated his omnitool to find any electronic components and ran it over the bulge inside the plasteel wall. There was a reading, very weak, almost imperceptible. He grabbed his assault rifle and hit the prominence with the rifle's butt. It only made an unremarkable dent.

"What is it Garrus?".

"Think I just found something suspicious. Can you give me a hand, ladies?"

Both girls approached. Ashley took the shotgun and dished another hit to the area. A few ones later, they managed to dent the wall. There, veiled because of the coating, was a kind of complex electronic node. They hadn't seen it since it was hidden, carefully embedded in the wall. It was unlike anything he had ever seen. The design however seemed vaguely familiar. When Dana saw it, made a frown. It caught the attention of the Turian:

"Colonel Sterling?," he asked. He had seen that look many times in Shepard's face, not to know what it meant: "Do you recognize this technology?"

"It looks familiar... Specialist Vickers!"

One of the two technicians working on decoding the encryption of the server, came quickly:

"Ma'am?"

Dana pointed to the piece of equipment. The soldier pulled it from the wall a little, stretching the cables, but without tripping it. He observed the piece, checking it from top to bottom:

"Can you identify this component?."

"Looks like a bypass relay type RRG-2564XS, like the ones we use on the main circuits of our ships and weapons. But this one is... modified," the technician said while showing some parts of the circuit:

"I don't recognize some parts, and there are others..." he pointed his index finger towards a component, which seemed to be welded carefully, but in no way resembled part of the original "...whose function has been subverted. I've never seen anything like it."

There it was again!. That feeling that something was terribly wrong. Suddenly something in Garrus' head clicked. He had a hunch and verified again with his omnitool. Found several more of these nodes scattered throughout the house. Watched the piece and the computers and then got it all:

"Crap!, they're linked to the..."

Too late. Instantly a number of sensors were turned on in different parts of the room. He shouted the others to stop doing whatever it was they were doing and remain quiet. Turned off the omnitool and lowered the eyepiece over his face carefully, scanning the room.

There were things he had learned in the military: How the slightest odd sound in a place where there wasn't supposed to be any, could be the warning of a certain death. How the lightest smoke could reveal the invisible wires of a laser-based sensor system. How the slightest pressure on a suspicious plate could activate a mechanical device and precipitate a ton of debris over it... how something as simple as a sigh could activate a heat-and-humidity-sensible explosive...

All of this and much more, went through his mind at that very moment. Sharped both his eye and mind, trying to find patterns. Mentally checked his knowledge about possible ways to cheat an eye sensor such as his. A thousand ideas and and several looks after he found only...

Nothing.

Nothing that would indicate him the size of the mess they had gotten into.

It took him a full minute to check again. And suddenly, he found the pattern. There, tiny, embedded in the walls, invisible when inactive, but unmistakably alive, now that electric charges ran over its components. Secondary relays leading a light intensity electrical signal. He'd seen this circuit arrangement, only in theory books. Very few specialists were able to install such a system. Heard the voice of Ashley Williams returning him to reality:

"Garrus?," she asked with mild anxiety. The Turian decided it was best not to hide the seriousness of the situation.

- I knew it!. I had foreseen it, yet couldn't help it!. It's an electrical field variation trap. There are gadgets hidden in the walls, conducting low voltage electrical charges." He pointed to several places where he now perceived the strange signals:

"They look like fine-tunning sensors, activated by electrical impulses. This kind of trap is not very common. This is a Quarian technique, that only a few groups, such as the Batarians or Salarians have been able to replicate..."

"And now it seems Cerberus as well." said Ash, while her companion continued scanning the room. Those kind of surprises never came alone:

"In the original technique, the relays are connected to the switch of an electromagnetic pulse emitter. It's mission is to disable a force of synthetics, or infantry with sophisticated electronic equipment..." the ex-detective pointed to the server, that the other soldiers had withdrawn from, slowly: "...but they can also be connected to a bomb," the reverberating voice of the Turian left his vocal cords in a bereaved fashion:

"If the sensors pick up an electric field greater than the limit specified by the V.I.'s of the sensors, we won 't live to tell."

A few damnations and other insults cut the silence for a few seconds. After that, peace was made. Only the breathing of the soldiers disturbed the sepulchral air of the room. Ashley asked softly:

"Can't we take the computer and get out of here?"

"I don't think so," said the Turian alien. When confronted by the looks of seriousness of the others, he hastely replied:

"Had I set up this trap, I would've accompanied it with movement and pressure sensors. Any attempt to leave could trigger the established countermeasure. We have no way of knowing what will happen next, do you get it?"

"Damn!. Is there any way to disable this trap?"

The alien threw a glance at her companions, that could mean a lot of things. Standing there doing nothing meant sure death. These traps were usually also connected to remote detonators. If the person or persons who had set it, were watching -and could do so if they had left hidden cameras in the department- they could activate the device manually and it would be the end. On the other hand, he didn't want to use his omnitool to find any connections. He didn't even want to risk using the Kuwashii visor for fear of detonating the trap...

Cursed again the absence of Tali. Her vast knowledge of electronics would have helped her devise a way to escape. Kaidan could also have found an ingenious solution quickly. Both probably could have done more in safely fashion, but none of them were there. He couldn't risk contacting Tali over the radio, the energy requirement to send a direct message could trigger the trap. And Alenko... well... Alenko was radioactive dust in the wind already...

It remained only him to deal with that situation. He had to do something, and had to do it soon.

Then they felt a jolt. Ash lost her balance, but recovered quickly. Dana just grabbed the nearest wall, and the specialists laid themselves on the ground. A tremor rocked the building, accompanied by the creaking of plasteel and a rumble that seemed to come from not too far.

"That sounded like a building falling apart!," the voice of the Gunnery Chief hinted more than simple tension.

The former detective thought a minute and, fearful that he was signing the death warrant of them all, did the only thing he considered conducive. Turned on his tool, setting it to the lowest frequency of operation and, once he realized they had not blown to hell and back, wrote a message:

"Shepard, we have problems!"

* * *

The stern door of the room suddenly opened, and the prisoner and three of her escorts entered the room. Gathered in a rectangular table, the characters were all expecting Miranda. On the left, at the far end, the dark-skinned Captain Anderson, as a representative of the Alliance. To the right, Captain Chellick for the Council and C-Sec. And before her, Lisa Hayes, Rick Hunter and Miriya Sterling. All expectant about what Miranda-Circe had to say. All with faces of worry.

She couldn't ask for a more willing audience.

The officers who were guarding her, positioned themselves midway, with their weapons ready to fire in case of any eventuality. Commander Shepard sat down near Anderson. And as soon as he grabbed a chair, the Turian Chellick started:

"Citizen Circe Stilwell. Twenty-eight years old. Profession: Engineering intern, temporary personal assistant to salarian architect Horath Lisanis, member of the Office of Engineering and Planning Affairs of the Citadel. Based on building 25-A corridor 3-B of the Lower Tayseri Ward. Social registration number: 039521B7G false. License immigration: 35HF658, false as well..." the alien consulted the data over his omnitool. The undulating low tone of his voice hinting the gravity of the situation:

"...the charges against you, the reason you find yourself currently here, are..."

"...Espionage, conspiracy, sabotage, illegal possession of information, blah, blah, blah. Mere trifles!," said the girl, her voice defiant.

"What?" surprise and indignation were present in the face of the alien. No doubt the C-Sec officer wasn't used to insolence on the part of his prisoners.

"You already know about my many crimes against the regime of this space station, gentlemen. How about we save time and get to the point. I'm here because Cerberus has something important to say."

"How dare you?," the Turian rose from his seat.

"Captain..." Anderson's voice paused him. Miranda-Circe saw the outrage reflected in the face of the alien and smiled to herself. Miriya also raised an eyebrow in a gesture that betrayed their fun.

"Insolence does not suit you at this very moment, Miss Stilwell..." Rick Hunter spoke in a calm voice:

"Who determines whatever the relevance of Cerberus' message, is us. And of course, a provocation of this kind may predispose us negatively," the Admiral said with disdain. Clearly he was not willing to be manipulated easily. That pleased Miranda.

"Then it would weigh on your conscience, the catastrophe that will come!" struck the officer, while watching them all in turn.

"Catastrophe?, what are you talking about?. Be warned that doing this will avail you nothing Miss Stilwell, if that is your real name," Chellick said, unwilling to stay out of the situation.

_The Turian puts his anger under a mask of professionalism... _the biotic reflected,_ ...which is nothing more than a bluff. Anderson seems intrigued, however, if there's something there bothering him, he hides it very well. And Commander Shepard is where I want him to be...  
_  
Concern however, was close to her mind. And it had to do with the other humans. The tendency of Shepard to action rather than dialogue, was making this situation particularly vexating. She couldn't say the same however, about Lisa Hayes, who seemed to measure her up and down slowly, trying to get an idea of her character and how she could influence it. Admiral Hunter also saw her without prejudice, holding back his emotions and waiting patiently. She refused to look towards Miriya Sterling for more than a minute. The green-haired woman looked at her only once, and that strange sensation from the first moment she saw her, was replicating again. She had detected something since that time, and didn't feel very tempted to delve into the feeling of disgust she inspired her...

"I repeat: My organization has something to say. If you choose to ignore it, you may regret it..."

"Is that a threat?," asked Anderson, without losing composure. Lisa seconded him:

"Your position of force is non-existent, Miss Stilwell. The database your people stole from the SDF-3 is secured already. You are surrounded by elements of C-Sec and, if it weren't enough, our soldiers are patrolling the place. Any attempt of surprise will end with your unfortunate demise. However, I must say you have piqued my curiosity. Let's talk about this message of yours."

"Ah!. Such petulance, Ambassador!. If I were you I wouldn't bet against us. You would soon realize that's a bad deal."

"Oh?," Lisa's voice had a tinge of uncomfortable disbelief.

Miranda smiled, openly this time. A gesture that didn't go unnoticed to them. A shock made them lose their balance. The distant sound of a building collapsing, hit them without mercy.

"What the hell?," asked Anderson and motioned to one of the guards to go out and verify.

Shepard's omnitool lit, warning him that there was an incoming message. The soldier checked the text and then turned to see Miranda with an air of rage. He rose from the table promptly and got right to were she was, trying to hold her. She eluded him ducking to the side. The other officer on duty hesitated a moment before aiming his weapon. Captain Anderson's cry woke the others:

"Shepard!, what is the meaning of this?"

Miriya rose, the barrel of her Galant pistol aimed at the prisioner, while Chellick and the other guard approached and restrained the Commander. The N7 turned to see his superior, his face full of anger, while battling them:

"Cerberus has activated a trap in its safe house!, My team, Colonel Sterling and the Force's technicians are still there, working to remove the database!. Garrus has told me it's an electromagnetic variation trap, possibly connected to hidden explosives!."

"Only a small proof that we are not fooling around," Miranda said with frozen smugness:

"What you've heard, was the collapsing of an abandoned building in the ward boundaries!. Of course there are other two facilities, one of them the building where the database is, and another one, an apartment building with mostly alien population, that have such traps rigged out. I suggest you stop embarrasing yourselves!."

Shepard turned to see the girl, while the other attendees got to their feet, giving her a look full of hatred:

"If something happens to those people!..." he threatened.

"That will depend on your superiors, Commander. Such a trap is just a measure to balance the scales," Miranda -Circe said, standing and equaling herself with the rest.

"How dare you?," Captain Chellick also looked like wanting to go for the jugular.

"Enough of this nonsense. The trap is calibrated with my vital signs and a timestamp. If I die or have not been released in thirty-five minutes max, it can have terrible consequences for everyone. Did you say something about my position ambassador?".

"Do you suppose anyone in this room is going to negotiate with Cerberus, based on the threat of force?. If so, think again!." Rick Hunter raised his voice, something rarely heard.

"Too much viscerality. Tsk, tsk... that can't lead to anything good." Miranda poked the fire a little more.

"Enough!," Ambassador Hayes ordered, motioning the others to stop. The anger could hardly contain itself at the moment. "If you have something to say, say it now!."

"First I have some conditions for you, if you want to recover the data and your men alive."

"Mention them!," ordered Anderson, returning to his chair. Slowly the others returned to their places except Shepard, who decided to stay upright. A gesture of impatience that his rigid military training had not diluted completely.

"First of all, I need my omnitool..."

"No way!. Do you think we will give you a potential weapon just because you ask for it?," spit the Turian with contempt. A look of Anderson made him change his mind:

"All right!, bring it to her!."

Another of the soldiers ran away. Miranda took the time to add:

"I hope you don't try and order your men to approach the area of the bomb. Any alteration to the biometric reading of the people still inside the building, or any significant electromagnetic change and the trap may activate..."

Chellick turned white as a sheet. Not an easy thing for a Turian:

"This is Captain Chellick, to all C-Sec units: Form a perimeter fifty meters away from the building. No one can enter the place until further notice!, no exceptions!. Mayor charges on whoever trespasses."

"Miriya..." Rick Hunter was about to launch an order, but the alien was faster:

"All units of the Expeditionary Force: You're hereby ordered to cooperate with C-Sec officers on the premises, as needed. Establish an exclusion zone around the perimeter established by them. Measure effective immediately, under my authority."

The soldier returned a minute later, with a microchip. Miranda placed it on the special glove on her left hand, and the contraption came back to life. She motioned to the others:

"Second condition: I will only negotiate with Admiral Hunter and Commander Shepard."

"That's unheard of!, no way we will accept such..." Chellick replied again, but a sign of Miranda silenced him:

"If you want to keep safe the civilians and your elements, you will do as ordered!. WAIT. OUTSIDE!"

"I won't be kept out of this negotiation!." Lisa said. Anderson was about to reply, but Miranda gave up at that point and allowed the woman to stay.

All of them, the guards, the Alliance representative, the Zentraedi and the Turian, went outside reluctantly. Once the door had closed, the agent of Cerberus activated her tool. She searched for a few seconds and disabled several listening devices and microphones that transmitted the sound to the observation room next door. Once done, she waved her hand and the hi-tech tool threw a hologram, that soon became well defined. The silhouette of a man with gray hair and rough factions welcomed them:

"[Gentlemen and Lady: I sincerely hope Circe hasn't caused you too much trouble to convey my desire]"

Rick became aware of the ruse. Neither the voice nor the shape, were the same as those he had seen before. The only thing alike, were those steely blue eyes, the only common feature between the individual in front of them, and the Illusive Man image he spoke with previously. Those blue marbles were full of a malice and confidence that weren't there last time:

"[Commander Shepard: A pleasure to meet you. Even though I regret not being able to show myself as I really am.]" said the man, with some sarcasm.

"Only his eyes are real," muttered Rick, and the others turned to him.

"Very perceptive of you, Admiral Hunter. If Circe hasn't mentioned it yet, this conversation takes place through a channel so secure, that even with the Expeditionary Force's technology you wouldn't be able to track it,]" he told Lisa as he saw the gesture of her trying to activate her own omnitool.

"You underestimate us. The REF may well give you a nasty surprise," said the ambassador, measuring the new opponent in front of her.

"[I don't do, Mrs. Hayes..."] the figure pointed to the dual-view mirror, where surely Chellick, Miriya and Anderson would be watching, ["...aliens don't know what makes us tick, meaning that underestimating us would be only natural for them. But I'm a human too, and I know damn well what happens if we are not taken into acount carefully.]"

"Let's just hear what you want from us, and be done with it!" Shepard exploded. Word games did made him lose his temper.

"[Admiral Hunter should know. I want the same thing I required of him last time we spoke,that wich made me initiate a "friendly" dialogue at the time]"

Silence was made in the room. Lisa turned to see her husband with a questioning look. Shepard didn't flinch, being as he was, aware of the details of the attack. Rick said reluctantly:

"The Illusive Man contacted me, minutes before the attack on the ship. His intention was to convince us to embrace the cause of Cerberus. To which I refused absolutely..."

"[An unfortunate decision. One that has forced me to take unpleasant measures, but necessary ones for you to understand my position.]"

Lisa replied immediately:

"That was unwise. You sent your team to a desperate mission with little intelligence, gathered in a short time and therefore unlikely to succeed. Not to mention that the missing of the info your people have stolen, is of no real consequence to our plans and can be easily replaced." she mentioned, with the swagger of the rank of admiral she once had.

"[Wrong, Ambassador. Situation is developing as I have foreseen. And I must say that the REF has done an excellent job, riding us from elements whose loyalty was doubtful or who harbored unchecked ambitions. The best thing these men have done is giving me details about your combat capabilities...]" the Man offered a caustic smile, which froze the blood of them, "[...info that I can compare and complement with what we already know about you from other sources.]"

That made both Hunters hoop an eyebrow. There was a shadow of doubt in those words, but before they could ask more about it, Shepard lashed:

"You are despicable!. Is that how you expect any of us to consider your twisted claims?, You must be raving mad!," struck the officer, clearly enraged.

"Commander..." Lisa intervened, making a gesture to let her talk. Then she turned to the holographic figure that dominated the room:

"My husband was right to reject your proposal. And as for the information you have of us, it's no more than a boast. There have been only two military operations of the Expeditionary Force, since we arrived in this universe. Our skirmish with the Citadel Fleet..."

"I wouldn't call that a skirmish," Rick said in a lower tone.

"...and the rescue of the MSV Destiny, from the hands of the mercenary group "The Blue Suns", in the nearby Terminus Systems. While the first operation is well known, the second we have given few details of. So, you really have very little data to contrast with what your men have acquired."

"[Wrong again, ambassador!. But I'm not one for showing you how untrue that claim is. Let me just tell you that I have more intelligence about your army, than you can possibly conceive. And Commander Shepard can attest that my threats are never in vain".]

"Vain or not, if you don't desist from your claim, you can prepare to be hunted by the Expeditionary Force and brought before our courts for trial!. Believe what you want about the welfare of humanity!. You're just desperate for power. And in both my own universe and yours, there are ways to deal with such people!." Lisa let out in that diatribe, all of the anger the guy facing her, could inspire.

"[Ah!... I fear your misunderstood moral superiority brings out the worst of you. It makes you blind to the important things that happen in the galaxy. But not even all the morality of the Alliance..." the man turned to see Shepard, whose indignant look said it all "... nor the good will of the Expeditionary Force..." at that point, he returned a frozen gesture to Lisa, who made her feel a slight chill "...and certainly not the actions of the Council, none of this serves to ensure the welfare of humanity. But the weapons of your army, _they do. _And the lives of your men, Commander Shepard's and the people of Tayseri Ward are well worth it, don't you think?..."

Shepard felt a twinge in his chest. Ashley and Garrus were caught in the middle of the crossfire. And he was stuck there, unable to do anything to help them.

"Blackmail will avail you nothing, Illusive Man..." - Rick said with unusual serenity "...all of our troops knew the risks of this call when they enlisted. And although it's a waste of lives, I can assure you that this trick will not give you what you want" he sentenced, but within himself, he knew Lisa was eager to rush out and try to rescue her men.

"[You are a person of really fixed ideas, Admiral. But I beg you to reconsider. It's not only the lives of the military what is at stake, but those of civilians. And considering the traumatic experience of your arrival at the Citadel, more damage to the population is only going to put them against you, hopelessly.]"

Rick looked to Lisa and then Shepard. None liked the crossroads that the Illusive Man had placed them on. They had only two choices and none of them was even slightly good. They remained silent for a moment. Only the slight nod of the Commander betrayed what was going to happen.

"Admiral Hunter: My team also knew the risks..." the Hero of Elysium said, feeling a knot in his gut twist. Again he had to decide between the future of the galaxy and the lives of their peers. And though he knew what the best decision was, the severity of it made him feel miserable.

"I understand it Commander. And I'm frankly sorry. If I give this lunatic what he wants, many more lives of my men and the ones of this galaxy will be truncated." He turned to see Miranda and the hologram:

"You can forget about our technology, -and I hope the families of those affected will forgive me for this, one day-. My answer is still no."

Miranda-Circe was going to take action and Commander Shepard was about to pounce on her, but a gesture of the Man made her give up:

"[It is unfortunate Admiral. As I said the first time: You are not fit to figh for the welfare of humanity, here or anywhere else. Of course, It's useless to say you'll regret it... Circe: The matter is in your hands!]" said the figure while going away and giving them his back.

Rick was prepared for what was to come. Having to deal with the "consequences" of this refusal was going to be one of the things that he would regret the most. Especially because of the burden his wife was going to have to deal with. But he couldn't give in to blackmail. That comment closed the discussion and he thanked god knew how much, for having come out of this negotiation without showing weakness. He was about to rise to finish the interview, when he heard the voice of that whom he didn't want to intervene at that moment. Looked to Circe and saw the smirk painted on her face:

"Wait!, why do you do this?. Don't you have a clue of the danger this galaxy faces, if our technology falls into wrong hands?." Lisa was confused. She could understand the decision to sacrifice lives of sapient beings for control of these resources, but not that there were people willing to take such decisions with such astonishing ease.

The man turned back to them, going into the front of the projection again:

"[I'm just doing it for the greatest benefit of humanity, Ambassador. By hiding such perks, yourselves are commiting an act of vileness against our race. But however much you try, you can't stop the advance of mankind toward its destiny...]"

"[Tell me: Do you really believe that you're the only ones of your particular universe to have come to this place?]"

The revelation inherent in that question came as a blow on the mood of them all. None of the intelligence reports they had compiled, even hinted at the possibility of contact between civilizations of their home and their new partners. The very notion sounded ridiculous, but it caused in both Hunters, a feeling of uncontrollable fear. Shepard came to the rescue:

"He's trying to mess with you!. Do not let his words affect you!. You can't trust this guy!."

"[A futile effort, Commander.]" said the ruler of Cerberus, lighting a cigarette and giving it a long smoke:

"[What I'm saying is easily explained: Surely your allies can tell you what a "Garfish-class" light cruiser, ID code "SCL-96-Trident", presumably lost for at least two years of their own time, is. It has proved to be a source of comprehensive information about them. Not to mention the other vessels and remains of Tirolian ships, that have popped up here at different times.]"

None of them commented. But what the Illusive Man saw in the eyes of both leaders of the REF, had confirmed how controlled he had the situation:

"The SCL-96 "Trident"... what about it?. You could've gotten that information from the data you just stole fromus." Rick was unwilling to be cowed, but he could feel the knot of anxiety rising like a bitter liquid from his stomach to his throat.

"[Once more Admiral, you take me for a fool...]" the Man's tone became low and cold, with an unmentioned threat lurking on the horizon, "[...but this will teach you not to underestimate me.]"

A second image was deployed from the omnitool. Rick immediately recognized the ship. Some sections were removed and others had been remodeled, but the stocky and elongated design, as a garfish, characteristic of the robotech craft, was still there. Now with the Cerberus logo painted on one side.

"What happened to the crew?, are they alive?. If you harmed them..." threatened the ambassador, but the Illusive Man didn't budge.

"[I'm afraid when we found the ship, it was in deplorable conditions of preservation. And most of the crew had died in unpleasant ways. The few we managed to rescue, didn't last for more than three days. Cellular degradation of the bodies' systems, an effect similar to radiation poisoning, but more invasive and penetrating. Something obviously regrettable. However, the information we could rescue from the computer systems, while incomprehensible at first, began to make sense after some time. I think we have learned a lot from you, and my research group assures me that we can overcome the high-energy requirements of your systems,]" he said and then snapped his fingers. Another image appeared on the screen:

"[The icing on the cake, however, is this artifact we recovered from Batarian hands, about twenty years ago. We didn't know it's possible use. As you can see, it looks like a machine of robotech technology, but rudimentary at best. However, when the cruiser fell into our hands, everything started making sense, don't you think?...]" the Man made no effort to hide an evil smile.

Shepard turned to see the Hunters. Lisa was mute and the Admiral's mood was gloomy. He heard a faint whisper:

"The folding system of the SDF-1..." is what came out from the lips of both.

Rick slumped in his chair. The mechanism had disappeared during the first folding trip of the robotech fortress, without them knowing how, for nearly fifty years. Both were just a couple of inexperienced youngsters when it happened. That event was the harbinger of storms, of all the bad things that were to come...

And finally they had found it!.

In the hands of Cerberus.

"[Now you can understand my sudden interest in you and your cooperation. If I understand your discourse, you say your technology must be hidden, so that it doesn't fall into wrong hands. These particular machines, however, are already in my possession and of some other powerful third-parties of the galaxy. You can look the other way and not cooperate with me, in which case you'll be directly responsible for the "misuse", they could give these artifacts..."] the man paused and inhaled the cigar again, taking a long drag and savoring the smoke, then letting it go:

["...Or you can cooperate with us, to help bring humanity to its true place in the galaxy, with minimal bloodshed. The choice is yours."]

"I told you this was going to get interesting, isn't it Commander?. Why don't you say something?," Miranda couldn't resist the temptation to provoke him. Locke looked at his companions with cold reserve. Finally he said something that seemed rather a plea:

"Admiral, Ambassador, don't do that, please!. It would be against everything the Systems Alliance has strived, at behest of Humanity for many long years," he appealed. The faces of his companions told him he would need more convincing arguments than that.

"The Systems Alliance... bah!. Their intentions are good, but they're unwilling to make the necessary sacrifices" the Cerberus agent ended. She could read the victory in the faces of others.

And suddenly, she found something that was not in their plans.

Rick Hunter stepped forward. The challenge in his eyes saying it all:

"Illusive Man: I must admit that I considered to grant your request for a moment. And I would have done it, had i not realized that your strategy misses a fundamental thing: For all of our technology you may possess, the right way of doing things, the _know-how_... is exclusively ours. You can understand our technology over time. You can even make it work effectively, if you persist. But that will take considerable time, even if your have more than twenty years of a headstart. In our world it took us ten years, with the resources of all humanity pooled toghether, and the genius of a visionary scientist, to create these wonders. And it wasn't an easy task.

I warn you: For every minute that you and your people spend doing research, I'll personally devote two of them to find you!. And I don't care how many institutions I have to tear down, or how many people I have to crush to do it!. If you want to risk a war in which we have the lead, _you will have it!_."

"[Admiral Hunter: Your repeated refusal to take Humanity to it's rightful destiny, makes me sad. But your threats doesn't scare me in any way. You've signed the death warrant of your men and yourself, but so be it!.]" The shadow that was the leader of Cerberus, vanished into thin air, cutting off the communication, but not before saying a final sentence:

["Circe!...]"

"Was it so difficult to agree?. We warned you that there would be consequences!." Miranda's voice became as cold as an iceberg. She went for her right hand, trying to activate the switch on her omnitool.

_Ashley!, Garrus!_

Shepard lunged at the girl, throwing a fulminating right hand and hoping that his opponent's reflexes weren't quick enough. But he didn't know the capabilities of Miranda Lawson. She dodged, while attacking the point under the armpit, with a blow that stopped the Commander to a standstill for a moment. She took the heavy gun that the soldier carried and launched a biotic discharge to the Hero of Elysium, which crashed into Rick and Lisa, which were also rushing towards her. She then discharged several shots against the double-view mirror, making Chellick and Anderson who were on the other end, throw themselves to the ground. She didn't stop to see if they were hurt. The C-Sec guards were already opening the door when the woman threw a burst of power, ripping the door from its locking mechanism, and projecting it against them. She left the room shooting, giving no quarter to any moving targets.

She had to move fast. The last part of the plan had yet to be done...

* * *

David Anderson was not happy.

The Cerberus girl had gotten them handtied, as if they were damn rookies. They had made the mistake of underestimating the human radicals again.

The operation had been strange from the beginning, and most suspect of all was the presence of men of the Shadow Broker, in a place where there should have been none. While he waited, sitting on one of the adjacent rooms, and watching through the glass panel that served as a dual-view mirror, looked to ex-detective Chellick twirling around like a caged lion. He would undoubtedly have much to explain to the Council when all of it was over.

A message came in on her omnitool. There was no sender, but the body text gave a clear idea of who could be:

_"Let's pay love with love. Look under the stairs of the precinct."_

It could only come from one person...

He excused himself and went to the hall. The nervousness of the people could be smelled. They moved as fast as angry red ants in a hive full attack, while seeking ways to locate and disable the traps the terrorists had set. Amid the maelstrom of orders and situation reports, Miriya Sterling watched the drawings and diagrams of the building where Cerberus safe house was, in complete silence, with the calm of an iceberg. Her face had a neutral expression, which didn't betray the frenzy of her tactical thinking.

Anderson was surprised, yet perfectly understood her. If it were his own son trapped in that building, he'd probably be doing the same.

He walked away from the hustle and toward the stairs. There were several officers standing there. He couldn't understand how his contact wanted to talk, having so many representatives of the law nearby. The officers moved to make way and the old soldier passed, slipping down the ladder:

"Hello?" he muttered, trying not to draw much attention.

There was nothing there. Cleaning implements, old boxes and goodies that were never enough on a police station. Above all was a sheet of paper. Something unusual and out of place in a world where electronic transmissions have replaced physical media. Anderson took the sheet and looked curiously at the text. Only three lines, which seemed to have no connection to each other:  
_  
The fog is coming  
murmurs at the ready  
but it doesn't prosper..._

Only nonsense in his opinion. But there was also a drawing, made of thick lines, as if done with a brush, accompanying them. Whathever it tried to represent, it was very vague and indefinite. But viewed from a certain angle and using a little imagination, looked like an omnitool. The man had a hunch. Scanned the piece of paper with his own device. It processed the info in the drawing and began to sort code sequences. A few seconds later it displayed a message:

_"Captain Anderson:_

_I am very grateful for what you did for me. Although I fear the person that has become my nuissance, is some steps well ahead of me. Which is saying a lot. In addition to covering his tracks so well, has left me some false clues that made me stray from the so clear path I had before. I don't pretend to relent in my search. Keiji deserves more than that. Thus, bound by his memory and my own weakness, sifting through data streams, getting into places where i should have never been, and keeping the bad companies that I never should, I found..._

_Something._

_Something that may interest you and your protegé._

_The info I'm leaving you, is stored in a temporary server over the Extranet. Once you download the data to your omnitool, or within two hours upon receiving this message, the information will be deleted, as a precaution. I don't usually work for free, but I think the valuable trust you have placed on me, can't be bought by any amount of credits._

_Hopefully this will be useful to you!._

_P. S. Haikai verses have never been my forte. But I have not yet found the proper motivation for this..."_

There was no rubric, but it wasn't necessary. The old man smiled a moment and then looked at the paper. The drawing that accompanied the poem had vanished. There were only three lines of text that couldn't betray anyone.

Anderson made the relevant maneuvers, claiming and storing the information the master thief had issued, and left. The interrogation was still ongoing and the officers didn't appear to be any closer to disabling the traps. Headed back to the room, hoping that Chellick and Shepard could put him up to date with what he had missed later.

Was opening the door to the observation room, when he saw Circe Stilwell pointing a gun to the glass. His combat conditioning jumped at full speed. Dropped to the ground as he heard the first shot go beside his ear.

Half precinct launched itself when shots were heard inside the interrogation room. The first responders were downed by the door of the room, coming straight at them. The officers who were still standing after that, were about to open fire on the suspect, when Commander Sterling stopped them. She reminded that Rick and Lisa were still inside. In containing the anxious policemen, she gave the operative time to escape.

Miranda-Circe left the room. Several C-Sec guards opened fire on her, but the girl sneaked out ducking, rolling, shooting and using her biotic powers to remove any hindrance on the offices, uncaring about killing anyone who stood on her path. Some REF officials also tried to block her, but Miranda drove them back throwing some of them against the walls or using singularities to hold them.

Miriya, who had drawn her pistol at the speed of lightning, followed the woman hiding behind the walls and furniture. Now and then, she fired a few bursts to make her move. Saw her jumping out the window at a drop of several meters, while surrounding herself with an aura of power, to lessen the impact of the fall. The Meltrandi positioned herself at the window, and opened fire when ready.

The Cerberus agent already knew what such weapons were capable of, and didn't give the shooter a chance to present an easy target. Promptly ran into a crowd of onlookers who swarmed wanting to escape, frightened by the uproar, as she moved in a zigzag. Miriya refrained from firing when she interned the crowd. Transmitted an order by the communicator to the remaining units of the REF to join in the search and, leaning herself on some ledges, went out of the office, with some placed jumps. The escapee had the advantage, but the Meltran picked up speed in few strides. Her blood was boiling with the fury of combat.

She saw her enter a dimly lit alley and stopped a few seconds, to indicate their position through the communicator. Entered the alley with her gun drawn and scrutinizing the gloom. Almost didn't see the lightning blue blast that came from her left, but that sixth sense which so often helped her in fights, alerted her. Ducked the blow and planted a sweep at the feet of her opponent, which in turn avoided with a showy stunt. Without giving a break Miriya fired her gun from the hip, causing her opponent to duck away. The answer came almost immediately, several shots forcing the REF officer for cover behind a wall. The Commander guessed the position of the shooter and, tuning her gun at full power, fired three bursts that scorched the cover and the kinetic shields of Miranda, and made her grit her teeth to stifle a cry of pain.

This in turn countered, by projecting a singularity that attracted the Meltrandi towards it. But she couldn't take the finishing shot, as the woman took the sudden change of perspective in stride, to shoot over the cover of her opponent, forcing her to move. The effect of the singularity dissipated and Miriya fell, re-engaging with a little leap. She covered her back, just to hear noise from her left and turn around quickly. Several shots made her roll back. Suddenly both women were in front of each other, drawn on by the respective arms of their opponents:

"The situation is balanced at the moment, but not by much. Better surrender now, Stilwell. Police and my own forces are coming." the Zentraedi woman suggested, while pointing directly at the head of her opponent.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Commander Sterling. But by the time they arrive, I'll be gone." The barrel of her gun was pointed directly into the abdomen of the other:

"In your defense I must say that you are interesting. I've never met anyone who had lasted more than twenty seconds fighting me. You are a real nuisance!... yet I find you... strange" said Miranda. She was telling the truth.

What wasn't said, was that facing her had induced a fear she was not expecting. To her, who had seen things out there that could've turned the guts of anyone upside down. To her, that was not intimidated by the presence of Commander Shepard, and had escaped from a closely-guarded C-Sec precinct at gunpoint. Battled to hold off the unpleasant sensation with great effort. Not that it would matter much to her interlocutor.

"Commander Sterling!," they heard the screams from behind. Captain Anderson and other officers approached. The green-haired woman was going to say something, when an explosion shook off the ward. She lost her balance for a second, and leaned against a wall to stand, while a dull sound indicated that a trap had been activated already. Turned to look towards the other side of the residential area, to see which of the bombs had exploded, when a surge of biotic power projected her and the others back, with incredible force.

Miriya Sterling heard Miranda Lawson mention an ending phrase:

"Sorry Commander..." the woman watched her omnitool "... but it looks like someone has already paid the consequences of your bad decisions. It was very interesting to play with you, but it is time for me to go. I hope you had said goodbye to your daughter."

At that, the REF officer tried to get on her feet, even though she felt like she had been beaten with a sledgehammer. Raised her head, making a tremendous effort, to see the Cerberus officer activating her personal device and typing something. The last thing she saw before her consciousness faded, was Circe Stilwell going away into the darkness of the alley, while the ominous sound of a second explosion could be seen in the distance...

* * *

Garrus' mind worked as fast as his Turian physiology allowed. Checked around, following the possible connections and flows of energy, with the Kuwashii visor at low power, while making memory about the explosive device. The experiences of excruciating hours of study at Palaven's Academy of War flooded him, but the alien blocked at a stroke any reference that had nothing to do with the layout of the circuit's schematic, used to set traps like the one that held them.

Good memories could wait...

The sensors, he recalled, were usually connected to a series of microcircuits controlling the power supply. If he could find these connections, they could have a shot at overriding the trap.

But it wasn't easy.

"Tell me there is a way out of here alive, Vakarian!," Ashley asked, holding her nervousness and impotence at bay, as best she could. Beside her, Dana was only looking without saying a thing. She was no electronics specialist, and at the time she would have given anything to have Louis Nichols, her partner of the 15th ATAC, on hand.

"I don't know Chief," the Turian mentioned, watching his surroundings. Maybe they were doomed already. But if so, he wasn't going to tell his peers without exhausting any other possibilities. An incoming communication in his omnitool, put him the willies:

"[Garrus!,]" the electronic voice of Tali's enviro-suit, sounded at equal parts unpronounceable curse and the song of a bird of spring:

"Tali?, what the...?"

"[Shepard notified me of the situation, and once I arrived, the C-Sec people told me in detail. There's no time to lose. There is a way to escape, but it's risky...]"

"If we have chance to get out of here alive, it is better to take the bet. C-Sec's bomb disposal team isn't coming. And staying here won't remedy anything either!" said Ash, intruding on the conversation. Garrus didn't remember seeing the Gunnery Chief ever so worried.

"[Chief Williams... calm down... All of you listen: This trap requires several circuits to operate. If this particular specimen resembles the quarian's original design, the circuits can be found in the wall visually. They are like small bumps on what should be smooth walls. In the worst case, Garrus can turn on his visor for a short time, to help find them, before the V.I. system records the change of the electromagnetic field. What you have to do is locate at least five circuits and render them unserviceable, by using proton ammo.]"

"Four..." interrupted Garrus "...we have already located one".

"Will that disable the trap?" Dana asked, not letting her own anxiety betray her.

"[No... but the proton ammunition will cause negative feedback and error in the motion sensors that are built into the circuitry. The V.I. that controls the sensors will have to reboot the system, and it will give you at least five seconds to escape.]"

"And how are we supposed to leave the building in five seconds?" asked one of the technicians behind them, clearly upset. Dana ordered him to calm down.

"[There's always the window!, heh, heh ]" heard another voice on the background: Wrex.

"[If you jump for it, Wrex and I can slow your fall using our biotics!]" completed another voice: Liara.

"Sounds risky... and not just because you mention it, Wrex!." Garrus laughed, while trying to anticipate all possible resolutions of this situation. He failed.

"[Once again I'm going to save your Turian butt!]" the Krogan added.

"I can slow the fall of these two..." Dana said pointing to the two engineers "...with my Cyclone. But what about the other civilians in the building?," asked.

"[There are no other civilians. C-Sec hasn't allowed anyone through since the REF secured the area.]" the Asari assured.

"Enough for me," the Sterling said.

"For me too..." added Ashley "... let's get to work!"

"[There's one more thing you should know. Disbaling the circuits must be done without leaving your positions. Too abrupt a movement can activate the trap.]" completed the quarian.

"Ok. Wish us luck."

Garrus turned off the tool and sighed softly. Once they got out of it, he would have a chat with Shepard about buying life insurance.

Manually adjusted the parameters of the visor and looked at the walls again. He'd saved in the device's memory, the location of at least two other circuits. But he didn't like the positions in which they were located. One of them was above the door, hidden in the opening mechanism. But the other was embedded in the wall behind eight inches of plasteel and a shelf. It was in the scope of his assault rifle, but the gun wouldn't allow him to make a precise shot. Had he brought his Mantis rifle, penetrating the wall with a single impact wouldn't have posed any problem. In these circumstances however, there was not much he could do. Heard a humming behind him and watched Dana Sterling put on the helmet of her armor, activating the interface:

"From my position I see several circuits, camouflaged."

"One above the door and one other near the corner of this room, forty-five degrees up," the Turian confirmed.

"Yes. And then there are two others, one near the window, probably placed by the exterior wall, and one at the end of one of the bedrooms..."

"I can shoot both the one on the door and the one you dislodged." said the Alliance officer. "With my shotgun that shouldn't be a problem." Ashley took the Scimitar from her back, letting the residual gas of the folding mechanisms of the weapon disperse.

"Yes, but we are not in a position to shoot the other nodes without moving." Dana said.

"That is not an option. Tali said nothing about disabling only three circuits..."

The power of the gun was good enough for the distance where they stood. Garrus knew it, but didn't trust the proton ammunition. It's penetrating power was not as good as he wanted. He lit the omnitool again:

"Tali: Is there any other way?. We can't turn off all circuits with proton ammo. Shielding problems."

The quarian hesitated a moment before answering:

"[Yes... if you can find the main feedback node and attack that first, you'll be given at least three extra seconds to destroy the rest. By attacking the primary node, motion sensors are disabled, but the trap is placed on hold to fire. If you haven't disabled another node with proton ammo in the next three seconds, the trap will be activated. But if you do it right, each disabled circuit will delay the mechanism. Once you get to five, the system will reboot and give you ten seconds to move.]"

No one said anything. However, despite the hopelessness of the plan, they didn't have much of a choice. Garrus programmed his weapon to give the appropriate output, as did the Gunnery Chief. Then he lit his visor. The node that had been taken from the wall, appeared to be the meeting point of the sensors. That was the primary node:

"Alright. This is the first..." he pointed to the right spot "...but unless that junk of yours has more weapons systems, we still need to plan three more shots." Grumbled the C-Sec officer as he watched Dana take his Galant pistol and trigger something in it. The girl threw the gun at the alien, who received it in one smooth motion:

"For the circuit of the corner," she said. The gun was lighter than its mass effect counterpart and made the Turian wonder how much firepower it could deploy. Decided he wanted to know:

"Will I be able to penetrate the wall with this?"

"Shooting at full power, it could easily go through your armor. At this distance not so much power is required. Half of it will suffice. And if you consider that it delivers an emission of high energy particles, it's like the proton ammunition from your weapons," Dana indicated while adjusting the power output.

"And how do we disable the farthest circuit?", asked the Alliance soldier.

Dana just gave them one of those mischievous smiles, that few in the REF had ever seen, -a reminder of happier times-. Garrus had the feeling that he wasn't going to like the answer and saw confirmed his suspicion, looking at the mechanized armor of the Colonel powering up and opening a couple of magazines on the shoulders, revealing a group of six miniature rockets, ready to fire. Specialist Vickers looked at his companion and the other looked back with horror, while Dana asserted:

"I am setting the positions of the targets in the aiming help of my armor. At your signal, I'll neutralize both."

"It is dangerous to use such firepower for that, you know?," the heart of the ex-C-Sec detective skipped a beat. He began to seriously doubt the sanity of his newest friend.

"It's the only way to neutralize both circuits without moving!. But my shot has to be the last, to give time to the rockets to punch a hole through the window. If all goes well, we'll see each other down there." the girl planted both feet firmly on the floor.

"We have nothing to lose!. Vakarian?," Ashley placed herself in position and pointed to the area Garrus had showed. The latter sighed and opening the channel of his omnitool, said:

"Tali, Wrex, Liara!, get ready!... Neutralizing the circuits in five... four... three... two..."

Ashley was the first to shoot. The mass effect shotgun roared and almost immediately the circuit over the white wall overloaded, due to the proton shot.

Four... three...

She opened fire again. The mechanism of the top of the door also exploded, releasing small particles near the entrance.

Four... three... two...

Garrus opened fire on the corner. The burst of ionized particles of the Galant gun burned through the shelf and into the wall that housed the mechanism, leaving a charred hole that left no doubtof what had happened.

Four...

"Get down!." Dana activated the Recluse system of her armor. Three of the six rockets they had seen, were ejected. All knelt immediately, covering their heads.

Three...

Garrus lifted his head and saw a second barrage of missiles maneuver in an almost impossible way and enter the room where the other circuits were. The action seemed to take place in slow motion.

Two...

An explosion shook the room. Plasteel chips and building materials flew everywhere. Dana, waited for a moment:

One...

A second explosion threw them out of balance. The REF soldier however, didn't wait anymore for the chaos to subside.

Ten... nine...

"Go!"

The fair-haired Sterling took the two technicians by the arms and activated the propulsors of the Cyclone at full power. With one tug, the three of them shot up through the bedroom, where the rockets had opened a gap.

Eight... seven... six...

Garrus helped Ash up and ran to the window too...

Five... four...

Only two steps separated them from the drop. Below, Wrex was already sweating from the effort of slowing the fall of Colonel Sterling and her companions. The Turian didn't think it. Without hesitation, pulled Chief Williams and jumped. Things started to pick up speed around him, but he felt no fear. Hoped that his fellow adventurers, those who had not disappointed him so far, could rescue them...

Three... two...

A series of smaller explosions shook the building, while a blue bubble of biotic power gobbled them. He looked sideways, and found Liara, heavily concentrated on preventing them from reaching the ground at terminal velocity. The fall was still hard, but not enough for them to receive considerable damage. But upon reaching the ground, they had little time to take another step. A huge explosion shook the ward, reducing the building to splinters and sending debris of flying metal and other materials, dispersed through the area. It also propelled them forward with incredible violence. Despite that, Liara didn't lose any concentration, using her power as a makeshift shield to protect them from the most unpleasant part of the conflagration.

Fire, smoke and shrapnel went flying. But once all the hell unleashed by the explosion settled, Tali, who had sheltered several yards away, ran to meet them:

"Are you alright?" she asked while reaching out to Liara, who had fallen as a result of the shockwave, to help her rise.

"We are okay Tali..." Chief Williams answered, one knee bent on the floor. "At least I do. Garrus however, seems to have lost a screw," comented, pointing to his partner, who was lying on the floor, face up, with a painted grin on his face:

"What is going on, Turian?, too much action for you in one day?"

"No Wrex," he mentioned, with a smile from ear to ear. "I just remembered the time someone asked me if I missed my work in C-Sec. I should add: "Escaping from an exploding building", to the list of things that make this job beat C-Sec!..." he said with little restrained emotion, while the quarian girl helped him stand.

"Well... we're outside. Now I want to see that Stilwell woman's face, when she realizes that her trap has failed!" Dana said approaching them.

"Me as well..." Tali began, when they heard the rumble of the floor, accompanied by the shrill sound of another explosion.

The view was of another building collapsing several blocks beyond. The unmistakable sound of desperate cries of agony, of hundreds of inocent people dying, did away with their joy...

* * *

_**Office of Cultural Affairs of the REF, Alliance Embassy,**_  
_Two hours after the attack..._

Commander Shepard rose from his seat and turned to pace through the room again. The meeting room in the reserved area of the REF wasn't nearly as spacious as that of the Systems Alliance, in the same building. He walked from one wall to another, looking at the austere furniture:

_Military style. Only what is necessary to not be minimalist. Humanity is the same regardless of the dimension_, he reflected, returning to his place. Behind him, the small window overlooking the outdoors of the Presidium's ring showed its inhabitants, more disturbed and anxious than usual.

He couldn't blame them.

The Citadel at the moment, was nothing short of chaos. The Council had called an urgent meeting in the Presidium Tower, where the audience hall was. The first time he had been there, the V.I. tour guide, Avina, had said his calling to that place was good. "You're about to relate to the cream of the government of the galaxy. It's a great honor and a great opportunity," he'd heard...

At that very moment, the "cream" was looking for someone to blame for the serious disturbance of public peace that had occurred hours earlier. And he knew that the Hunters had been called to appear. In a way he didn't envy them.

Despite that, the leaders of the REF had asked him to remain there, to talk to him. His perception was that they wanted to chat about some particular points of their situation, that couldn't wait. He had some idea of what that could mean, but he didn't want to anticipate events.

In less urgent circumstances, he would have tuned in "Citadel News," the channel where Emily Wong, that reporter whom he had helped with a story months ago, worked. But now he didn't want to hear about the incident, and even without seeing and hearing the news services, the "Attack of Tayseri" as the press was now calling it, was on everyone's lips. He just had to check the chat rooms over the Extranet, to dive into a set of conspiracy theories, each one more absurd than the last, and ranging from a settling of accounts between the mercenary corporations in the galaxy, renegade Batarian Hegemony operatives determined to push the Council, because of it's favoritism toward humans, an assignment of the Specters that had gone wrong, or even a coup attempt from Cerberus to take control of the Citadel. Proponents of the latter were the most fanciful, though inthe Specter's opinion, their beliefs were not too wrong in their assumptions...

"Shepard..." the voice of Captain Anderson took him out of his thoughts. The old officer had entered the room without noticing. The visage of the veteran made him suspect that things would worsen even more, before they finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel:

"Captain, what is happening?, how much more will I have to wait here?," the Hero of Elysium vented his frustration. He had always been a man of action, and the fact that the Alliance and the Council asked him to stay at the Citadel, while Saren Arterius was out there, was something that was driving his patience to the limit.

"Easy, Shepard," the officer walked up to him and sat on a nearby chair. "Rick and Lisa wouldn't ask you to wait if they didn't have a good reason for it."

"Rick and Lisa?. What happened to "Admiral Hunter" and "Ambassador Hayes", sir?," pushed the other to dilute his frustration a little. He was surprised in a way, that his superior officer had befriended "the others", so fast and so fit.

"Come on Shepard!, you are not the best example of exemplary protocol behavior. Especially when it comes to members of your team. For example, I think I heard you call Chief Williams by her first name, several times in these last hours. If I was your commanding officer, I would've disciplined you already." retorted the veteran.

The Commander let out something close to a grunt. He was aware that he had attached himself too much to his team members. He also knew that it could cloud his judgment. But he would've given anything to have had such a squad when the thing on Elysium. That thought brought Kaidan Alenko back to his mind. He suppressed a frown. This situation was making the sacrifice of his fellow useless.

And it would be, while Saren remained free to threaten the galaxy.

The door opened again. Both Hunters, followed by Colonel Sterling, entered. Their faces were solemn and full of uncertainty. The N7 operative said to himself he wouldn't want to be in their place at the time. Rick came up and dropped into his chair. Lisa placed herself across the table at the same distance. Both looked very tired:

"Commander Shepard, Captain Anderson: Sorry to keep you waiting. Things are really bad out there, and I fear that no amount of political maneuvering is going to make the nascent problems, disappear any time soon" sentenced Lisa Hayes, her face worried. The Council had called them to the Tower of the Citadel and they were already waiting. In her mind however, both she and her husband had other priorities.

"The threat of the Illusive Man has not been in vain..." Rick continued "...and now, with the political implications of the recent developments, we are about to have our hands full."

"Ambassador, Admiral... with all due respect ... I hope you have a good reason to meke me stay here. The Council has sent several calls to my omnitool in the last twenty minutes, I have purposely ignored them on recommendation of the Captain." he took a look at his superior officer:

"By ignoring the Council, we may be sowing an interstellar incident."

"I understand your position, Commander. But I fear there are more important matters to attend to. And once we finish talking, you'll agree with me, that the galactic council and bureaucracy are the least of our problems." Rick's voice seemed to come from his mouth, distant:

"Captain Anderson: If you have the kindness..."

The veteran of the Alliance invoked its tool. A few moves later, an image was projected into the air. It was a video fragment.

"I received this from one of my most trusted contacts. I can guarantee its authenticity." said the veteran:

"It's been recorded very recently. Four hours at most. Check this:

The scene featured a pair of geth, in what appeared to the clearing in the middle of a city in ruins. Both synthetics carried the limp and beaten, but vaguely aware bodies of two soldiers. They were an Asari commando and a Turian operative, dragged to a clearing in the middle of the place, without any gentleness. The group came to a tripod, where the bodies were deposited without ceremony of any kind. In the clearing there were more bodies, impaled on what appeared to be metal stakes, protuding from the tripods ' bases.

"Dragon's Teeth..." Shepard said, referring to the name by which the Alliance knew these devices. The memory of the first time he found them on Eden Prime, crammed his head with unpleasant memories for a few seconds.

Anderson stopped the vid for a second, focusing on the two bodies about to suffer the worst of the fates:

"I have identified the victims. They are Deliana Armara from the Asari Republics, and Hieratis Maximus, from the Turian Hierarchy. Both Specters of the Council.

"They are the ones sent in my place, to pursuit Saren!," the N7 mentioned. He remembered having discussed with them about the renegade and the Geth. Both had listened carefully, but leagues away saw their reluctance to believe in the existence of the Reapers.

"As you can see they have failed!," Rick sentenced while Anderson left the video run again.

The macabre sequence continued. Feeling the bodies' pressure over them, the dragon's teeth released the metal stake that was part of their deadly mechanism. Lisa drove a hand to her mouth with a face of terror, and Dana closed her eyes to shut herself out from the sinister spectacle. But the horror of seeing the bodies of two living beings twist, while releasing howls of pain and agony, being pierced without mercy, until they became inevitably impaled by the effect of gravity, further worsened, when they became witnesses to a horrid transformation.

It was as if suddenly the corpses began reconstructing themselves again. Only instead of living organ and tissue, their systems were reconstituted with advanced electronic parts. Their skin began to darken and in the case of the Turian, to strongly go to gray. Their eyes didn't reflect any emotion. They had left behind their former personalities, to become empty shells of themselves...

The shot changed from perspective and focused on several geth disabling the mechanisms to release the suspended bodies. But Admiral Hunter asked Anderson to stop the recording again, and drew a hand to point a part of the projection. There, basically in the background, behind some synthetic that curiously watched the event, there were two hooded figures that were unlike any of the other machines. The military man enlarged the image. The recording was not of the highest quality, far from it. And the figures in the background weren't very visible. But Rick and Lisa had seen many times that configuration, to have any doubts about their view:

"Haydonites!," it was Lisa who raised her voice this time. She looked at Rick's face in astonishment. He looked back at her with a troubled brow.

"I couldn't believe it either, when Captain Anderson showed me the first time. But now I have no doubt about it."

"But aren't the Haydonites supposed to be your allies?," Shepard asked, knowing full well that the answer might not be of his liking.

"So we thought..." said Lisa "...but this changes everything."

The man said nothing. He only activated his personal tool. He had also received a disturbing video. The scene featuring Sovereign, with two other ships docking, was reproduced as the Hunters had seen it previously.

"I suppose you can explain something about this piece!." The tone of the Spectre was accusatory.

Rick stopped him before he said something he would regret:

"We received this picture from one of our exploratory probes. It's my understanding that the original probe to receive this information, was destroyed. By protocol however, backups are always sent to other probes and then relayed to the SDF-3. According to the timestamp, this happened a few days after our arrival at the Citadel..."

"But the timestamp in the encryption of this picture says, that it had at least several days on your servers!. Why did you withhold information of such importance?".

"That's a lie Commander. The Expeditionary Force withheld nothing..." Dana stepped closer to him. Rick stopped her:

"I have the original video fragment, derived from the SDF-3 servers before they were attacked and removed. This one preserves the original timestamp, unchanged. If you wish to compare, you will find that, if Cerberus sent you that information -and I could bet they did- they're trying to alienate you from us." he completed, in as much a calm tone as he could. He didn't want to let things go out of control. None of them needed another scandal.

"And what about the other ships?," asked the N7 operative, not yet convinced.

"They're of the same type that attacked us in our dimension. Who are their owners, we don't know. Although with the info Captain Anderson has, we can extrapolate that our Haydonite allies have something to do with all this. If things are as they seem, their intentions are hostile. Also if they could follow us here, they may as well know a way to return to our home..."

Shepard remained silent. The others, however, could see the reflection of the struggle in his head, his eyes thoughtful and confused.

"If Saren and Sovereign are allied with these... Haydonites, the situation will become ugly in very little time. Saren and the Geth on their own are the greatest threat this galaxy has ever seen. If these aliens bring them military might, similar to yours, dealing with them will require as much help as possible." Anderson sentenced, looking at both Hunters, letting the weight of such revelation deposit without mercy on their shoulders.

Shepard got up and headed for the exit. Anderson stopped him:

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm going to stop Saren!. I'm sick and tired of the Council ignoring me, while the galaxy is in danger!."

"Commander..." Lisa thought appropriate to speak frankly:

"I don't doubt your ability. Reports of your exploits speak highly of you. But confronting Saren and his men, if they are being helped by renegade Haydonites -and I'm not wiling to think anything else until I find out if they have really betrayed us!-, will require more than just your ship and team. You need to level the battlefield..."

"But adapting your technology to the Normandy can take weeks or months!. We don't have that much time!." The Alliance operative discharged all the frustration he was feelling. He knew well that facing this new enemy on his own, was like trying to stop a tank with a water gun...

"We can't adapt our weapons to your ship. That is what caused this incident in the first place..." Rick said. He struggled against the idea that was forming in his mind, but told himself that the situation was becoming desperate. And if they were to have a chance of returning, or at least survive, then they had to relent a little:

"... But we can concede you some things. We have no spacecrafts to compete against the Haydonites, but we can provide you with vehicles and personnel with which to confront Saren."

Anderson winced:

"Doing so could lead to an incident with the Alliance and the Council!. If they find Shepard has..."

"They will find it Captain..." the ambassador intervened "... since the Commander was also summoned to the Council Tower, and once he fails to present himself, they'll suspect!."

"I don't care what the Council may think!. If they hadn't stopped me from going after Saren, we wouldn't be having such a mess upon us!."

"Shepard: The Council made such a decision, because there has been political pressure from various governments, including the Alliance, to do so. None of them measured however, the consequences of what they were encouraging!." the veteran could understand the annoyance and despair of his friend. He had felt as much when finding about the rulings of the governing triumvirate.

"Such position is comprehensible Captain, but in no way justifiable. But what's done is done and now we must find ways to remedy the situation. What do you need Commander?," asked Rick.

Shepard reflected for a minute and then added:

"Originally we had a ground vehicle, to complement our infantry, but we lost it on the last mission. Requisitions of new materials to the Alliance stopped, when I was assigned as liaison officer. If you can provide us that, weapons, ammunition and a driver..."

"We can lend you a "Silverback"..." Rick said, but Dana spoke immediately:

"Admiral!... Sir," the girl cleared her throat and made everyone turn to her, surprised.

"Anything you want to say, Colonel Sterling?."

"Sir... with all due respect. Those VM-9 are good vehicles... but they lack armor. Such a design isn't good for a battlefield, contrary to whathever your analysts think. However, before his injury, Dr. Lang was working on a vehicle that would be better in all aspects..."

"You mean the SPARTAS hovercraft, the old fool was modifying?," Dana and Lisa smiled shyly, as they heard Rick spoke of the old scientist:

"I'm aware of his project. But the prototype has experimental technology that hasn't been properly tested and it could prove dangerous."

"That's not entirely correct sir!," said the girl without hesitation:

"I've been a test pilot for the model in which the doctor worked and I can attest that their improvements have been tested with good results. Also I have more experience than anyone driving this machine. The war with the Robotech Masters was my baptism of fire. In addition, the Commander already knows about my skills..."

"Of that, I have no objection. The Colonel knows how to handle herself perfectly as I saw it a while and what Garrus informed me." Shepard complemented.

Rick pondered what Dana was saying. What little he had seen of the SPARTAS in action, was what Jonathan Wolfe had shown him during the campaign with the Sentinels. They were good machines, with a robust design. If the chief scientist had modified their old systems, it was sure to be a veritech superior to anything he had seen. On the other hand, Max and Miriya were going to put the outcry once they heard that Dana was going "hunting", on a mission that could be very dangerous. He half-expected the Zentraedi woman to drop the SDF-3 over him when she found out...

"Okay..." conceded, with a look of slight concern "...if you say the vehicle is ready for combat, then this is the perfect opportunity to test it. But let's shield a bit more this operation. Additionally, we will give you an assault squad, equipped with Cyclone armor. And, you'll take a "Synchro-Legioss" as well, for air support. Jack Baker and Karen Penn will go with you as pilots."

Dana whistled. The Alpha and Beta veritech combos equipped with miniature synchro-cannons were called "Synchro-Legioss", and represented the maximum firepower that a trans-atmospheric fighter could carry. In the hands of the CAG of the SDF-3, such a vehicle would be a real threat. She didn't know Karen Penn could fly such a device. But she had heard rumors that at some point, she had been a test pilot for the Alpha and Beta prototypes, which in itself said something about her skills.

"How long do you think until we can leave?," asked the Commander. Anxiety over pursuing the Turian renegade, eating him away on the inside.

"If we hurry, thirty minutes will suffice." Lisa finished, applauding inside for her husband's resolution of not staying on the sidelines. These actions were going to cause her problems, but it was her own task, to steer the ship away of the storm.

"I'll give orders to Pressly, to mobilize all of the Normandy's hands to help where possible!. Perhaps we can cut the delay to only twenty minutes." the Commander said, saluting and then reaching for the exit. Dana did the same and ran behind him.

Once both were gone, the veteran Anderson spoke to the others:

"You _do _realize we are sending them into a trap, don't you?"

"Yes, Captain," Lisa answered. "But I'm afraid we can't do anything more for them. However, I wouldn't worry too much. Your Shepard has a history of doing the impossible, and Baker, Penn and Sterling have all passed through many difficult situations before and since joining the Force. If anyone can do the impossible, they can. But we still have to think about what to do, for Flight Control to give permission to the Normandy to exit the Widow System," she asked with a gesture of concern.

"Don't worry. There is a way, Ambassador. Please contact me when ready and let _me_ handle the rest..."

* * *

_Twenty minutes later..._

Anderson entered the office of the Alliance Embassy, determined to do whatever it took to get his pupil to escape. Udina could give the ship permission to leave the system without interference, and the veteran knew it. There was also a hard way to do the same, which involved accessing the Flight Control Division at the c-Sec Academy. That alternative, however, was more risky. His plan was better.

He closed the door and walked steadily to the office, without the guards at the main entrance putting repairs. It wouldn't be the first time he and Udina wanted have a private chat, safe from prying ears, and the guards were already used to such a proceeding:

_Being the main advisor to the ambassador, has its advantages after all..._

Entered the office. Donnel Udina was sitting at his desk, studying a series of reports, with an evil smile painted on his face. When he entered, the man's vulture face lit up:

"Anderson!, I've been looking for you!," said as he watched the dark-skinned soldier get near him:

"I know now how to force the REF to give us..."

The guy couldn't finish the sentence. A straight right cross to the jaw, was what it took to silence and knock him to the ground unconscious, out of his chair. A slight smirk crossed the face of the military. He agreed to the approval of traffic control and authorization was given to Shepard's ship for parting. A minute later, a text message entered his omnitool:

_"Normandy on its way. Transit allowed."_

"Mission Accomplished." muttered the veteran. Sat in the chair of the ambassador and saw the information that the bureaucrat was watching before being knocked out. Schemes, analysis of weapons and a report of a dangerous A.I. That was the info that had been stolen from the REF.

Without remorse, he wrote a few things on the terminal, and the information was deleted. Accommodated Udina in the chair and left the office. He ordered the soldiers not to let anyone step in, explaining that the ambassador wanted to be alone for a while. And with a slow pace, left the embassy.

As he walked around the grounds of the Presidium, David Anderson turned to see the artificial sky of the station, which was obscuring itself to simulate a night cycle. In the distance, he could see the SDF-3 and farther away the relay nexus. He thought he appreciated a small electrical disturbance in one of them, and then the unmistakable blue trail, indicating that a ship had entered the zero-mass corridor of a mass relay...

_We've done our part Shepard. The rest is up to you..._

* * *

Next: Shepard and the travel to Ilos. Also: What is happening with Kaidan, Janice and the "Ark Angel" over Omega.

See ya...


	14. Ten: Voids that bind I

**Robotech and their characters are properties of Harmony Gold USA Inc., Mass Effect and their characters are properties of Bioware. There´s no economic remuneration gained from this story.**

* * *

Hello boys, it's been a while... a great while

We're getting near the end of the story, and things are beginning to get more complicated. But it's the for the best.

Sorry for taking my time. But as i told you previously, i can't control certain aspects of my life that keep me away from writing.

I'm still writing, rest assured.

Mentions!

To: thunder18, kazekitsune666, HegemonAlexandrov, Cyspark01, Aulviss, Olaf74, YOURLORDANDMASTEROFINTERESTING, freedom-zxcvbnm, garm, Team503, Mordalfus Grea, Kithrin, Tsamoka and nainale, for favoring and following this story.

To: YOURLORDANDMASTEROFINTERESTING, Olaf74, ShadowCub, darkfinder, guest and Dyehuty for the reviews.

Rest assured, i will continue writing this story, till it's very end.

Hopefully next chapter won't take that long.

* * *

_**Chapter Ten:  
Voids that bind, part I.**_

_**SSV Normandy,  
**traveling to planet Illos  
Eight hours and fifty minutes after the "Attack of Tayseri" _

"Vector of approximation Delta fifty-five!, acceleration nine thousand kilometers per hour!, systems ready for transition to zero-mass corridor!, calculating and transmitting conversion solution!..."

The spacecraft approached the giant hurtling structure floating in space. Next, the revolving zero-element core in the center of the long relay threw a pale blue energy beam that wrapped the silhouette of the vessel_._ In three seconds, the miracle of the acceleration took place, and the transport was catapulted to its destination, at relativistic speeds. Rather than sliding through space, the ship's elongated figure cut the blackness around it, just like the arrow of a hunter, flying safe and accurately toward its target.

"Acceleration successfully completed!. Just passed through the Gamma Fifty-six Relay and we're entering the Terminus Systems by sector zero-three-nine. Telemetry reports we continue being ignored. Reactivating stealth systems. ETA to the Mu relay: Four hours and fifty-two minutes. All systems are green. Integrity of the attached vehicle: Not compromised..." Joker's voice cut the heavy silence of the cabin:

"...I said it before and I say it again: We are the first "kangaroo" frigate of the Alliance!", commented Jeff Moreau, the pilot that, by his mischievous demeanor, had the deservedly surname of "Joker".

Beside him, Commander Shepard didn't answer.

Joker, like most of the crew, used to seeing the still young highest-ranking officer, going to and fro, listening carefully to what his subordinates had to say, and inspiring fanatical loyalty on them. Therefore, the period of neglect in which the man had fallen, he found rather strange:

"You all right, Commander?"

Shepard came to his senses, grimly. Focused his eyes and recognized the pilot who suddenly looked to him like he had grown an arm from his face. He tried in vain to distract his mind from worries. The information provided by the REF had demonstrated that Saren had a considerable lead over them. And it made him think of hundreds of possibilities, all of them bad.

Liara had helped to interpret the information obtained from the Cipher, the Rachni Queen and the Thorian. "Turned out the Asari was useful after all_", _is what Ash had mumbled. And she had found the location of the relay that would lead them to Ilos. However, if the intelligence gathered was correct, reaching that lost world required them to pass through the hostile territories of Terminus, preferably undetected.

_Quite simple._

"Not quite, Joker. I wish we could transport ourselves to Illos promptly. But that kind of miracles are only held by the Expeditionary Force..."

The cripple pilot knew what he meant. The astounding faster-than-light travel mode of the REF would have been ideal for the mission they were now facing. But the lacking of small vessels with such capabilities had restricted them to the most common journey through mass relays. In compensation, the high command of the Force had provided them with attack vehicles with excellent firepower. They had one in the cargo hold, and the other one attached to the hull. He didn't like having anything attached to the stylized silhouette of what he considered "the apple of his eye". Performance of the Normandy, especially in terms of intra-atmospheric flight, could be affected because of that, but it was the best solution they had found in the little time they had to prepare.

"The firepower of these machines is well worth it," had said the blond Colonel Sterling, as they moved the hover-tank to the hangar. The device looked strange, resting in the place where the "Mako" should have been. However, if what the scientists and advisors from the REF said was true, Geth forces would have no idea what hit them...

"Don't worry Commander!. We'll be there before you know it!..."

Shepard just smiled:

"I trust you on that, Joker..."

The Hero of Elysium said no more and walked away from the cabin under the stern look of the ship's helmsman. Walked down the center aisle stopping to check over several operators, engaged in the reading and handling of the ship's systems. His mind mercilessly repeated scenes of the recent days, that had precipitated this situation:

First, the view of the "SDF-3", while barely coming out of the mass relay. Joker almost jumped, and even the rest of the crew had abandoned their usual routines, to see through the windows to the impressive ship. He mentally compared such moment with the first time he had seen the "Destiny Ascension", months ago. Despite being smaller than the Asari ship, the Robotech vessel was at least as deadly as its counterpart, with less than half the size. And the reports of the Battle of the Citadel left no doubts about that.

Then came to his mind the postponement of his appointment to report his investigation. Something he didn't expect from the Council, that almost makes his heart skip a beat. He had had proof that the triumvirate in power hadn't taken the matter of Saren Arterius with due seriousness.

And the tense yet playful interlude, of the formal reception ceremony of the Expeditionary Force where, of all the things that could have happened, he ended up playing Skyllian Poker with the commanders of the Citadel Fleet. All of those confirmed that the galaxy had turned upside down in the two weeks he had been away...

Reacted while passing next to the command center, where the First Officer Pressly stopped him:

"Commander... Can we talk a minute?".

"Sure, Pressly. What is it?"

"The REF squad is already installed and is currently on the storage deck, preparing their gear to be ready when required" said the ex-navigator of the frigate, with a hint of annoyance that didn't go unnoticed to the other.

"What is it, Pressly?, anything you want to comment?" Shepard knew that the officer was suspicious of allowing the entry of people from outside the Alliance, to what was considered one of the most secret ships of all the Fleet. The Commander gave way for his unmentioned complaint, waiting to see where the issue was going.

"If I may say it, Commander... this is not an official joint operation of the Alliance. Don't you think we are taking a huge risk having all these soldiers and equipment of our "allies" on board?..." There the old man emphasized some imaginary quotes.

"I do Pressly, I definitely understand your position. Have you been given any reason for complaint?"

"None at this time. In fact _they_ are more disciplined than many of the occupants of this ship. But, at the risk of sounding suspicious, can we trust them?"

"In different circumstances, Charles, I would be as wary as you..." the Hero of Elysium leaned against the side of the galactic map projecting structure "...but things are moving faster than I wanted. I had enough trouble trying to make the Council see the gravity of the situation Saren presents, and suddenly I find that the Reapers are less than a myth that i would like. And last but not least, once we set foot on the Citadel, we encounter this new civilization whose technology is beyond anything we've seen, and it has really shaken the dignitaries of the Earth and other worlds...

Situation is getting out of control, and I appreciate that we can make common cause with these strangers. What is clear to me is, that if the trend continues this way, and then we add the so-called "Haydonites" to the mix, we will be sorely in need of any and all possible help."

"After what I've seen..." the First Officer commented "...I have no doubt that the Expeditionary Force can tip the balance of the scales in any military action. And these Haydonites, if we can believe what they say, have just as deadly weapons. What else our "allies" aren't telling us?"

"Probably a lot of things..." the N7 said, walking away and prompting the other to follow "...but would you tell everything to your own allies, Charles?. Captain Anderson said all they want is to go home, because they're in the middle of a war. And the galactic powers are trying to use that to their advantage to gain technology and resources. Something that I most personally dislike, and let's not talk about what Admiral Hunter and Ambassador Hayes think of it. However, if their plans had been of conquest or destruction, we could have done little to stop them..."

"They are allies of convenience, at least for now", the old officer said expectantly.

"That's right. But remember one thing. A few months ago you were terribly leery of having aliens on board. Now you play games of Skyllian-Five with Garrus and Chakwas when there is chance. You no longer look Tali askance, laugh less with the silliness of Liara, and talk to Wrex with something more than disguised contempt..."

Pressly stopped for a moment. Were it not for the sound coming from the CIC area, Shepard could have sworn that his navigator had cursed under his breath. The old man just happened to drop a forced cough:

"All this is puzzling, Commander, but I trust your judgment to lead us to safe harbor. We stole the Normandy, forfeit our mission and are allowing the people we were supposed to be watching, to work with us. The least that awaits us at our return is Court Martial...", the officer saluted and turned, seeming to act as if the conversation had ended, but suddenly he turned back again:

"The more I think about it, the more I am filled with a feeling that this is... exciting."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. The last thing he expected was such comment coming from his First Officer. At what point the mighty man had become an excited teenager?...

"Carry on, Pressly", ordered the operative, with a smile.

"Yes, Commander."

He left the navigator and went down the stairs, heading to his room. The nightmarish visions of the Prothean beacon haunted him again, but he managed to banish them for a while. Between them and Saren, they were slowly undermining his mind.

He strongly punched the stair railing, betraying one of those moments of discomfort. He could certainly remember every single word that the Council had told him five days or so, when he finally was able to report his latest findings in person:

"_Commander Shepard!. How good to see your mission on Virmire was a success!", Councilor Tevos welcomed him. He was in front of the complete Council, with Udina and Anderson flanking him. The feeling of déja vu that overwhelmed him brought bad memories. Last time he'd had a meeting in such conditions, things hadn't gone that well..._

"_Saren is formidable enough, without an army of Krogan serving under him", Turian Councilor Sparatus added. The soldier could see an indulgent smile on his face._

"_The Krogan would've helped Sovereign, a Reaper...", he answered, willing to enforce the opinion he had stated since the Council had him commissioned for the mission._

"_Yes... we saw that in your report. Sovereign: A sentient machine, a true artificial intelligence. This news is quite alarming... although, given the current state of things, it's not such a surprise", Councilor Valern, of the Salarians answered._

"_Excuse me?", the face of the Alliance soldier reflected uncertainty._

"_Councilor Valern refers to the arrival of the Robotech Expeditionary Force...", Ambassador Udina intervened. "They have many technological wonders, and among them, as much as I personally find the issue unacceptable, advanced A.I.'s"_

_Everyone on the embassy had been very careful of telling him such info. Maybe it was strategic management of information, maybe they slipped and forgot to tell him. In any case such things were relevant, and he damn well had to be informed!, to avoid disconcerting situations such as the_ _previous one_.

"_Getting back on track: Sovereign's a Reaper. Saren admitted it", the Hero of Elysium insisted, feeling he was handicapped._

"_Saren is playing you, Shepard!. He still has contacts in the Citadel. He probably has seen your earlier reports. The ones talking about your vision... and the Reapers", guessed Sparatus, looking askance to the Salarian Councilor._

"_It's highly possible Saren is using false information to throw you off balance. Our own intelligence has never turned up any corroborating information", the Salarian clarified before Anderson and Udina could add anything._

"_As ludicrous as you all consider this to be, Councilors, possibility exists..." Anderson raised his voice. "This last days had proven it in a very explicit way..." he pointed at the immense window behind them, where the giant Robotech ship could be seen:_

"_...Still, Saren is a very serious threat, either with or without Reapers!. You'd do better in trusting the Commander on this matter!"._

"_Try to see this from our perspective, sirs. Saren is a threat we can recognize. However, as far as we know, the Reapers exist only in the mind of Commander Shepard", Tevos explained, with that ominous tone the N7 operative knew to mean problems._

"_Our decisions affect trillions of lives. We cannot act on accusations of a single person. Even a Spectre. Not without solid evidence", Valern added. Anderson turned to see Udina, and he could have sweared his mentor whispered to the ambassador:_

"How can they be so blind?!"_. He felt his anger rise._

"_However, Commander..." intervened Sparatus, "...your investigation about the renegade has revealed to us the far scope of his operations. Due to it, we are forced to take serious actions about the matter..."_

"Victory!"_. The human soldier relaxed, feeling the worst of the storm was already behind._

"_...because of that, we're going to relieve you from the hunting of Saren, to assign the two best Spectres of the Council. Both specialists when it comes to dealing with high-profile criminals and rebels..."_

_That comment was a punch to his liver. They couldn't do that!. So many months after Saren and now they were relegating him. They couldn't!. He turned to Anderson, who had a grimace of surprise and seemed to ponder how to best strangulate Donnel Udina._

"_That's bullshit!, Saren can manage a great lead in the time that it takes to organize two more Spectres!. And if he's heading to Illos to find the Conduit...!"_

"_We understand your concern, Commander..." the Asari Councilor stopped him. "Which is why we have gone a step further. Both of them are already working in the finding of the Turian renegade. And you will contact them both with the relevant info about this investigation, as soon as you get to your new assignment..."_

"_What new assignment?", the Spectre tried hard to remain calm._

"_By agreement with your superiors, we have decided you will become the new Liaison officer of the Council and the Alliance with the Robotech Expeditionary Force. Your new post will be on the dreadnought "SDF-3". We won't be revoking your Spectre privileges, since we hope it helps you to fulfill your new role in a most productive way...", sentenced the Salarian Councilor. Then added:_

"_Ambassador Udina will brief you in detail about your new assignment"._

"_You're making a grave mistake!. Saren and the Sovereign aren't going to stop for you or anyone!", Shepard roared getting close to the stand of the Councilors. He would have faced them directly, hadn't it been for Captain Anderson restraining him and making a a negative gesture:_

"_You're making a terrible mistake!, a terrible mistake!..."_

Regained his consciousness and found himself standing at the door of his room. A few meters behind, the always-present soldier on guard duty at the hall, did the impossible to go unnoticed, but was fully aware that his superior had been engaged in internal disquisitions, whose content he tried to ignore at all costs.

He went to his room and locking the door, turned to his terminal. It contained several reports, including one that caught his attention: Wrex Urdnot had challenged Colonel Sterling to try and shove him. She had declined politely, saying that it would look bad to their peers if she threw him to the ground. The Krogan boasted that no human had been near to throw him so far, which apparently made the human girl accept. The result was a surprised alien, lying face down on the ground and an exultant girl promising a rematch for another time.

Ah, Wrex!.

Another one was from Liara, speaking of what she knew of Illos and its discovery, and what she had learned from the Prothean beacon visions. Her curiosity and knowledge appeared limitless, when it came to her profession. It would've been a good idea to look for her from the beginning. A shame things had been otherwise...

He walked to his bed and said to the environmental microphone:

"Joker!, I'll take a break. Let me know when we get to the last relay before Illos..."

"[Understood, Commander]"

He layed in bed, thinking about the latest news he had received before deciding to escape the Citadel. He naively thought that things couldn't go wrong, but they only worsened, when Udina said that, at the arrival of the Third Fleet in less than a day, he would have to relinquish command of the Normandy, so that it could be sent to the Fifth Fleet to incorporate it to the 63rd Scout Flotilla. And only a few hours earlier, the Tayseri attack had occurred and with it his hasty departure...

He had told Pressly, and Joker also had sensed it, even if he was careful of saying it so openly, that they could as well not return from this next mission. Decided that focusing on problems he couldn't solve in short term was futile. Closed his eyes and cleared his mind, concentrating himself on sleeping. In the solitude of his position, no one could help him.

And he knew that it wouldn't do him any good, letting the uncertainty keep him awake...

* * *

The training room was empty, except for a blond girl with short hair, who released her anger and frustration with a sandbag, pummeling it without the slightest mercy. Her body was sweaty and wet, but that didn't prevent Dana Sterling from focusing her attention on the already multiple-times-battered instrument, getting out all of her anger in every contact.

Pressly had selected the place for the soldiers of the REF to reside between missions, in absence of more suitable rest rooms and chambers. At the time however, was empty. The Colonel had ordered her subordinates to get their gear ready, at the ship's hangar. She'd used the time as well to adjust the systems of the new "Spartas VHT-2X", which was to replace the "Mako", leaving them fine-tunned to her particular taste.

Even so, there were still a few hours of travel, according to the ETA, before they managed to reach their destination. Such time, she decided, was enough to tidy up the hornet's nest inside her head.

"_Are you out of your mind?, why did you volunteer for that?. Any other could have gone in your stead!..."_

Straight on and hook... she launched a combination to the device, with the same vehemence as if it were a real enemy. Every punch and kick, a chance to inflict a fraction of the pain she felt.

"_No one else can drive my tank, mom!, plus you'd never have let someone else carry out your missions!..."_

Why did she volunteer for this?. Was it to prove something to her parents?. Did she really want to make them believe she didn't need their love?, or was she so desperate to hurt them?. The little voice of conscience in her head -which generally was that of his former teammate Bowie-, said she had blown it again.

_"That's the problem!, that's not your mission!, Is not even your war!. Why don't you understand it?!..."_

The discussion she had with her parents, before the Normandy departed, had been disastrous. She had had "talks" with them, -some quite bitter, since she had arrived to the fleet. But because of their training periods, subsequent assignments, and then preparations for the departure of Robotech Reclamation Force, coexistence opportunities had been few and rather short. Mere exercises in protocol between the new recruit and the heroes of the First last one however, had been by far the most crude.  
_  
_Straight, elbow, swivel... she launched a new series of blows. The blinding rage overwhelming her every time she remembered the incident:

"Believe it or not, I get it!. But we can't let Commander Shepard..."

"Oh yes, Shepard!... Shepard this!, Shepard that!... I'm sick of hearing of him!, As if the whole fucking galaxy revolved around him!, Once I see Rick Hunter, Will have to talk seriously about this!..."

Gave a high-kick to the sack, which suffered the impact. Her Zentraedi blood was boiling:

"No one is going to utter a word about this!, okay?... nobody is going to say anything to Rick or Lisa. Not a single comment!, got it?..."

Kick, turn, punch... the voice of her father breaking his customary silence on family issues and acquiring a glacial tone. She couldn't imagine anything as remotely frightening, because of how unusual it was:  
_  
"I am not going to stand idly by", _her mother vehemently inveighed. She knew where she had got her bad mood from.

_"That's exactly what you're going to do!. It's necessary. Our daughter is a grown-up woman!, and a soldier, in case you had not noticed!. You know better than anyone what that means!..."_

Blow, blow, feint, kick.

"The Commander needs all the help he can and...!"

Feint, feint, elbow, knee.

"That's enough, Dana!. Your mother has a point: If I had it my way, I wouldn't have let you go. We didn't recover a daughter, to let her run away at the first opportunity!..."

She leaned for a moment on the punching bag, to catch her breath. A warm feeling came over her as she remembered.  
_  
"Maia was left behind however, and that's not fair either!...". _The warm and fuzzy feeling became stones soon enough._  
_

Hit, punch, kick, slam, spin, elbow.  
_  
"Maia again!... It must always come her!... You left me to my fate on Earth and now that your beloved Maia is away, you can't stop...!"_

Paf!  
_  
_A burning sensation across her face. A feeling of rage and anger, coupled with the pain that physically attacked her face:

"Never ever say something like that!... you have no idea!, you hear me?!, no idea!. You and your sister are the daughters I always wanted!...".

The tone of her mother's voice distorted, in an order that hid furious rage and shame in equal returned to lash the bag, without rest or compassion, until her aching arms protested with piercing stings. Vented her anger in a final blow and fell forward, gasping and struggling hard to contain the tears that she no longer believed she could shower:  
_  
"Really?!. If I am the daughter you always wanted to have, why didn't you both return for me?!..."_

Remained like that for seconds that seemed like days. That's how Ashley Williams found her when she entered the room, beers in hand:

"Colonel Sterling?, Dana?...", the voice of the brunette was genuinely intrigued. She walked up to her as the blond sat up, slowly remaking the eternal mask of confidence that was her face:

"..You okay?", the brunette asked, unable to conceal a bit of consternation.

"I've had better days...", the REF officer replied, wiping her face with the towel she had brought for such purpose:

"Something wrong, Chief Williams?"

The brunette frowned:

"I thought... maybe you'd want to have a little chat, before the next mission...

I like to know a little about the people I'm going to risk my life with, when i'm down there, on the ground. You know... in case any of us doesn't return...". The soldier immediately stopped, suddenly aware of how such a statement had sounded. She tried to rectify right away:

"...Of course only if you've got no problems with that, ma'am!", recovering the stiffness of protocol.

Dana smiled back:

"Actually Chief Williams...", the half-blood mentioned, using just the right amount of sarcasm, "...It doesn't bother me, although I must confess that I am one step ahead. You have some impressive shooting skills!".

"Read my file already, huh?... and what do you think about it?"

"Excellent, Chief. Although there is a distinct bias in your assignments out of Earth. In addition... honestly, I didn't picture you as the religious type."

"That's not a problem, is it ma'am?", answered the other, with contained aggression.

"Don't think so. It doesn't particularly bother me. I personally consider it an atavism. However, if it suits you..."

"It does... In fact... did you just subtly called me a freak, ma'am?", the Alliance soldier pointed with mordacity.

"Damn it Ashley!, why do you always have to be so damn stiff?", the blonde snapped. She disliked the other's unfolded composure.

"It's required of me, when I'm with my superiors...", said the brunette.

"Don't you dare give me that bullshit!. You didn't mind a few hours ago, when trapped in that building... and to make it official. Yes!... I'm calling you freak!", Dana protested, with a face that said however, that she wasn't taking it too seriously.

"Touché!...", the Williams painted her face with a slight consternation.

"As for your record... I just read the parts not censored", said the Sterling. Ash raised an eyebrow:

"Does my file really have censored parts?. And here i was thinking the Alliance wasn't giving me the opportunities to be!...", the brunette commented disappointed.

"Well, I guess working with a Spectre has its "offs and ons". Look... this isn't a practice of protocol behavior. So let's make a deal: We will only be Dana and Ashley. Nothing of "Gunnery Chief" and "Colonel"... and I promise not to "pull" rank.

"Fair enough..."

"Also, what makes you think there are chances of us not returning?. My baby and I -and I mean my tank of course-, won't let those Geth put us a hand over.

"Don't go underestimating the Geth, Colonel. My platoon did. Some damned fine men!. And they didn't live to tell", said the Gunnery Chief seriously. Memories of Eden Prime came painfully to mind.

Dana saw the gesture in the face of the other and added:

"I didn't mean to offend you, Ash. And it's a shame about your men, really. But it's hard for me to be scared. Not after having seen the Robotech Masters and the Invid in action...". And it was true. The technological superiority of the masters of Tyrol was, despite being weakened by the lack of Protoculture, something to be taken very seriously. And the way the Invid swept up the survivors of the Southern Cross could be summarized on one adjective:

Chilling.

She heaved a deep sigh:

"I could use a beer..."

"Good thing I came prepared. Although only a few will have to suffice. They are all I could sneak out of the kitchen", the Alliance resumed her usual confidence and offered her a can.

"Okay!, here goes...", the Sterling took what she was being offered and unceremoniously opened it. "Back to my days at the Academy!"

She took a long drink and her face reflected a gesture of disgust:

"What the hell?... no alcohol?!, and I thought only the Southern Cross did that nonsense!..."

"You know... nothing like a good beer to relax!. But as the Alliance doesn't want drunken staff on their ships...

Both remained silent for a moment, the path their conversation had taken, had become too dismal for their taste. Once both recovered the mood, sat near the door:

"Your turn Ash, throw me your best shot...", the Sterling took another sip of the drink.

"Anything I want?"

"Anything..."

"OK. Since you got on the ship, you have a permanent scowl on your face. And when I get here I find you massacring the sack, rather than resting. What's going on?..."

"Did I say you could ask whatever it was?...", mumbled the REF officer, between annoying and amusing. She remained silent a moment, then said:

"I was purging the annoyance of a bad day, out of my system."

"Problems with your superiors?"

"More like issues with my parents"

"I see... If memory serves me, you are the daughter of both Commanders Sterling. And what happens?"

"Is about Maia, my younger sister."

"Maia?, who is she?. I don't remember anyone of that name in the official presentations or the dossiers."

"She didn't come with us. She's the leader of Skull Squadron, the most renowned and élite aerial unit of the Force. She's younger than me, and her squad was assigned to the Third Mission of Reclamation, which we were to join to liberate Earth from the Invid. All of this of course, before that fucking black hole bounced us this side of reality..."

"You don't sound very happy... Is there a problem with her?"

Dana's face twisted in a grimace that said how much she disliked talking about the situation. Ash recognized the gesture:

"I understand... What about your family?."

"What about them?"

"What do they think about it?. If I had to guess I'd say..."

"I don't care what they think...". The Colonel sighed deeply.

Suddenly a pang of guilt made her understand that she wasn't addressing the problem in a good way:

"Damn it, I don't really know how I feel. First time I saw her was in the midst of a hallucinogenic trip. I had breathed pollen from the Flower of Life and I thought it was just a trick caused by it. I didn't know about her existence at the time. You'll never imagine my surprise when, once we had escaped from the Invid, we got to Tirol and my parents introduced me to her...

Maia was a little older than I'd seen since. She'd be thirteen years at most. She seemed... no... _She was_ a happy girl. She was me, before my parents left me on Earth...", the woman took another sip of her drink to hide a slight grief in her voice. Ashley said nothing.

"That day I met with them, feeling like a complete stranger. It felt like someone was taking my place, someone who relived the best years of my life, right before my eyes and made them her own memories. I was assaulted by a tinge of jealousy. It's childish, I know... but at the time it seemed like all I could feel without going ballistic...

I didn't stay till the end of our meeting. I discreetly withdrew as fast as I could and decided to embark that very day, to the orbital training facilities we had developed with our partners in Karbarra. Since then I've seen them a few times. We have even come to chat from time to time in "friendly" terms. But this trip has been the longest time I've been with them for almost seven years..."

Ashley shook her head, but kept a slight smile on her face:

"I don't know if I can blame you... when my sisters were born, I had periods of discomfort and unease. In my defense, I was only seven at the time..."

"Yes, I know that sounds bad... and see that in my lifetime, I've said and did the most stupid things!. But I couldn't help it. Despite my bad behavior, Maia is curious about me -I'm her big sis after all-. And my parents, even though I refused to believe it for a long time, remembered me in their exile in Tirol and told her about her lost sister. She has tried to talk to me at times. And I've avoided her many times as well. My guess is that down there, I'm still an immature girl...", she ended with a long sigh.

"And how do you get along with your family?..."

"Sometimes I want to pull out their guts... but I adore them. I can't imagine life without my sisters and my mother...", said the brunette with enthusiasm "...for example, I recently felt like getting my sister Sarah into the mass accelerator of the ship and shooting..."

"Yours is a kind of tough love Chief, why was that?..."

"Because Sarah is usually a bit nosy, and likes giving her opinion to everyone, even if nobody asks. And like all of us, Williams, thinks she can tell everyone how to fix their problems. Something that rarely ends well..."

"That sounds familiar..."

"...If I may say something, Colonel..."

"Nothing of ranks, remember?"

"Sorry, it's become something of habit. I understand how you feel about your family. I myself came to be distressed at some point, when my sisters came into my life. But I think you should try to know them better."

"That's easy to say, Ashley. But I've crossed four or five words with her throughout all this time. And yet... I cannot help but feel out of place. And then there's Mom..."

"What's with her?."

"I don't feel at ease when I talk to her. Not like before..."

"Damn well you couldn't!. You've spent almost twenty years away. You've forged yourself a character and a life. I went through the same with my own mother when I decided to join the Alliance. My father was overjoyed, but that day I had the worst discussion of my life, with her...

"And how it ended?"

"The day of my departure to enlist, she didn't say a thing. But one week later she called the base to check if i was okay. When I returned home after six months of basic training, she asked me to help her in the kitchen. We prepared my favorite meal for dinner. After that we had a long talk, until late at night. She never explicitly apologized for our altercation, but hinted that she knew I was taking charge of my life. And after all that we remained just as friendly as before...", the Alliance soldier shrugged:

"... I guess it's a little about resignation."

Dana stirred in her ground, uncomfortable:

"I don't know if I could do that. I wish i could!, but suddenly the words wouldn't come out of my mouth..."

"_Break, break, break,  
On thy cold gray stones, O Sea!  
And I would that my tongue could utter  
The thoughts that arise in me."_

The Sterling girl looked over a second to her companion, without saying a word. She couldn't figure out exactly what kind of game her friend was playing. As she regained her speech, she mentioned:

"What was that?"

"Lord Tennyson. I think sometimes poetry helps us to more easily express what we mean. But don't go around saying that you heard it from me!..."

"Ha!... and here I thought you were all rude!...", the blond countered sarcastically, as she gave her a blow on the shoulder.

"Leave me alone..." , the Williams added playfully "...seriously... the best you can do is make peace with your sister. But more than that, with your own memory", regaining her composure.

"Any useful suggestions?"

"None. I had never faced such problem. The only useful thing I can think of, is to go step by step. As for your mother... give her some time. She will forget it..."

"I sincerely hope so, Ash. My mother has a tendency to not easily forget... By the way, where are Garrus and Tali?, Thought I was never going to get rid of them. When I started to calibrate the systems of my tank, they peppered me with questions. I swear they had mistaken me for Dr. Lang...", mentioned her and gave a long drink to her beer.

"Typical, but I can't blame them. The videos of the "Battle of the Citadel" are so awesome..."

"The "Skirmish of the Citadel" you mean. Had it continued, we might not be having this conversation. But there is some truth in what you say. Jack Baker is an excellent pilot and my father avails him. Karen Penn also has a lot of experience and her performance as SDF-3 Air Controller is excellent. And of course Uncle Rick and Aunt Lisa enter without hesitation in the category of legends. Without them, I'm not sure we'd have fared that well..."

"That's hard to believe. You kicked the butt of the Citadel Fleet with a single ship!. Many people on Earth are celebrating the lesson of humility you gave those aliens!..."

"You are being xenophobic, Ashley!."

"What!, Of course not!..." , the girl paused thoughtfully. "Garrus, Tali, Wrex, Liara... I guess I've come to appreciate them for what they are, whether they are aliens or not. In some ways they've become the brothers I never had.

"A very interesting statement, Ash, especially for what it implies. I thought we would be having problems because of the previous comment..."

The Williams woman didn't seem to understand the commentary for a second. When she fully realized, the color crept up her face:

"Wait a minute, you are...?"

"My mother, Miriya Sterling, is a Meltrandi -a female Zentraedi-. And my father is human. Although human and Zentraedi are ninety-nine percent similar at the genetic level, that one percent of distinction, in fact, necessarily makes me a half-blood...", Dana said calmly, but without neglecting the slight anger the attitude of the other had caused.

"I didn't want..."

"Perhaps you did, perhaps not...", the blond took another sip of her drink. "The fact is that you seem to have a personal grudge against aliens."

"No!, yes!...", babbled the brunette and paused for a second. Took a deep breath and, having regained control of herself, mentioned:

"I think you'll understand better if I tell you the whole story..."

The tale of the First Contact War came up. Ash couldn't help some apprehension at the mention of her grandfather tarnishing his reputation, by surrendering the garrison of Shanxi to the Turians, even though that saved the lives of hundreds of soldiers. The Colonel listened attentively, asking questions where she thought appropriate. When the brunette finished the story, the blond looked at her with serious air:

"I see. We had idiots like that on the Southern Cross. Bowie sure would agree with me...". There was a look of confusion in the eyes of her companion. Sterling added:

"Bowie is a former colleague from my old unit. His godfather was a high-ranking official that, given the apparent technological superiority of the Robotech Masters, advocated to establishing peaceful contact with them. Of course the Supreme General Leonard and the other "birds of prey" in command dismissed his claims, marred his work and underestimated the enemy. Something that almost killed us all", she took another sip of beer and said:

"If I had a credit for every one of those jerks in the military, I would probably be millionaire..."

"That doesn't change the situation!. I'm still required to prove I'm better than others... for Shanxi". Ashley got up from the door and walked to the punching bag.

Dana sighed. She recognized a stubborn attitude when she saw it. Like it was in her own blood:

"You know... when I was on Earth, I also had to deal with the pressure of being the daughter of the most famous heroes of the last war. Everybody was on me, believing that, for being a Sterling, every official would favor me. There are still people in the Expeditionary Force who think that I came to my current rank for being the daughter of two famous commanders. Which is one big nonsense. For example, your friend the giant lizard..."

"Wrex..."

"The same. It's rare, but from the first time he saw me, he has been looking me funny. And a while ago,he approached to me, sweeping me up and down, saying I was too young for my range..."

"Even from Wrex, that's pretty steep. Wait!... maybe he likes you. I understand that sometimes it happens...", mentioned the Alliance soldier pointedly.

"I hope not!. It's not the first time it happens. I knew a Perytonian that... wow!, I almost fall into your trap!. No offense to your friend, but my tastes don't include scaly skin. Commander Shepard on the other hand..."

"Can we leave Locke out of this, Colonel?!, I'd hate to breach protocol by teaching my superior officer not to stick her noses where she's not being called!..."

"Locke, huh. I didn't know you liked him that much, Ash... besides , you don't have the skills to do what you say, "Gunnery Chief"..."

Both women were silent for a minute. Dana got up and both found their way to practice mat:

"Alright. The one who wins, can "flirt" with him...", mentioned the blond and then threw a jab that the brunette eluded without difficulty.

"In my case it's more like "continue" flirting with him, but I agree...". The Alliance launched a straight Dana ducked, moving her head aside.

A second later they were locked into a series of sets, feints and punches that spoke of their skill levels. From box techniques, things changed in a few minutes. A high kick, a sweep, turning punches and grips. Neither of them was willing to relent. They had tricks that trainings and bar brawls had taught them. And both were taking the bet, with a seriousness rarely seen. In this impromptu duel they were making of themselves all the concentration of which they were capable.

So busy were both in keeping their ground, they didn't see the figure in armor approaching to the gateway. Dana dodged a spinning kick her opponent threw and saw the guy standing in the room. She smiled mischievously.

"Commander Shepard!". Immediately snapping to attention and saluting.

Ash was surprised by the sudden change of attitude of her opponent. Became suspicious of what she saw, but couldn't help but turn a fraction of a second to check that she wasn't committing a breach of protocol. Just a moment. More than enough time to realize that on the door was standing...

Garrus.

She felt her arm and body twist rush toward the ground, its center of gravity strongly propelled down because of a throw of her opponent. She landed with a crash on the ground and a hit to her chest stopped her from rising from the padded floor.

"I win!...", the blond laughed. "I can't believe you fell by such a trick!", the REF officer mentioned reaching out to the brunette to rise. Ash gritted her teeth and took the help that was being offered.

"That's not fair!, I demand a rematch!."

"And I will grant it, dear, but on another occasion. Also, I'm not interested in "claiming the prize"", the Sterling approached her things and took a last sip of the drink:

"For now I just want to take a shower and rest..."

"I'm not sure what was all that about, Colonel...", mentioned the Turian, snapping their external jaws for a second. "But I guess I'll have to deter Wrex from coming to look for a second round..."

"I'd appreciate it, dear Garrus. But let him know that, before we return home, he will get his chance. It's a promise!." The Sterling put her best smile. The Turian shrugged with indifference and left immediately. Then Ashley asked:

"What do you mean you're not going to "claim the prize"?"

Dana just smiled:

"Some time ago, I foolishly fell in love with an alien, who had a special obsession with revenge. It wasn't a good experience...

Years later, I discover that he has a twin. It is rare to see the same person, feel the warmth that the other let you as memories, and find that such person doesn't reciprocate as before. Since for him nothing happened. It's something able to get into your head and make you doubt of your feelings. I'm not falling in love with someone else, until I've tidied up the mess in here...", she patted her head. Closed her eyes and let the memory of the confident smile and furtive kiss that Zor Prime had stolen, fill her, float in her mind and disappear, all in the explosion that destroyed the main ship of the Robotech Masters.

All that seemed to have been in a previous life...

"Furthermore you like the Commander!. I can see it a mile away!. Protocol or not, I think you should try..." said, turning around and heading for the door.

"I desire so... but it is against the rules. In addition..."

"In addition...?", Dana approached the brunette, who was recovering from the blow:

"We are in a very dangerous mission and if in our next exit, some of us don't return, then..."

The Sterling narrowed her eyes for a second and then added:

"A very valid point, I'm sure. But I have read that Tennysson also wrote: "_Better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all"_.

There is another man who said:

_"Will Death  
Cover me with its funereal crepe;  
But never in me will ever fade  
The flame of your love."_

Ashley looked at her, confused. While the blond was withdrawing toward the stairs, the Alliance asked:

"Who was that man?"

"A Spaniard... Gustavo Adolfo Becquer. You should read it sometime..."

Ashley looked thoughtful for a few minutes. While picking the remains of the cans, a smile in her soul was painted. And, being so surprised and radiant, feeling like a teenager loving for the very first time, left it all where it lay and came out of the room, directing her steps towards Shepard's room...

* * *

Next: The Haydonites come out to play...

As always, I expect your comments, suggestions and whatever you want to throw my way. Just be reminded that flames will be used to light my fireplace (ha!, as if i had one!).

See you...


	15. Eleven: Voids that bind 2

_******Robotech and their characters are properties of Harmony Gold USA Inc., Mass Effect and their characters are properties of Bioware. There´s no economic remuneration gained from this story.**_

* * *

So boys, as promised, here is the next chapter.

But before that, there's the honorific mentions section.

And the award goes to:

dtiapula, for being the new addition to the alerts.

As for the reviews:

Thanks to Shadow Cub and darkfinder. As for the relationships, yes they can be a pain in the ass. But they were an integral part of the plot of Robotech (even if you, like me, were more interested in those giant transforming robots). For Mass Effect they are an interesting side of Shepard's world, even if you choose no to pursue any romantic involvement.

so... sorry, it had to be done.

Hopefully this will be less than a filler chapter than the previous one.

On with the show!

* * *

_**Chapter Eleven:  
Voids that bind, part 2**_

_**Omega Space Station**_, Sahrabarik System,  
Omega Nebula, Terminus Systems,  
Norma Galactic Arm.

Pieces of a life. Small bits of metal, rock and polymers jumping around. Foul and dirty air leaking through the helmet's reservoirs, infesting the atmosphere with the smell of death.

_Don't let them escape!. Aria will amply reward those who bring her those bastards!..._

The alien's voice behind him screams with a despotic tone, commanding the pack on his back. He doesn't want to turn to see how close they are, but curiosity is killing him more effectively than the hundreds of shots all around. The evac team is close. The transport waiting to take them back home is less than one hundred meters. He can see the faces of his companions, as they flee, carrying the precious cargo commissioned to them to recover. The population shows itself very hostile. Never thought the power and temptation of easy money in Omega were so big.

An error of judgment that has been costly...

They're almost there. The dropship's ramp opens to let them in. Suddenly an explosion beside throws them out of course, slamming them violently on a demolished roof that holds miraculously. He can hear the transport's weapons shooting vermilion and purple death on the armed population. Hear the cries of several as they fall, while heat jets pass by his side, like infernal comet tails, ready to crash into a wall of flesh that resists despite the onslaught. He stands up as he can, the red of his blood pouring hard from his crotch. He feels nothing, but the urgent need to move forward. Battles the urge to stop and look for his peers. Soldiers hard and tough as they are, some have not risen again, proclaiming that he can and will turn up all alone for the last stretch of the road.

His conscience berates him:

_'Alliance Marines don't leave anyone behind!',_ the spur of his boot camp instructor drills his ears. But he has no time to go back for them or their dog tags. He doesn't stop to find out if they're still alive.

_If any of us is left alive, he or she must bring this info back home!_, they made him swear on what he considered most sacred. They didn't get along quite well, but they were sentient beings, with its many flaws and virtues.

He's afraid that, like many others, they would never return home.

Runs while the shots bounce off his biotic barrier. He's exhausted and can't feel his body, due to the enormous effort made tonight, but draws strength from who knows where to invoke his shield again and run the final leg. The evacuation transport is within walking distance. Two soldiers come down the ramp and grab him from the arms, while a third shoots cover fire. He can't move anymore. Can hear the barking of the dogs of war so close that the chill runs down his back like a poisoned sting, paralyzing every part of his being. Feeling the pressure on his arms, dragging his bruised and dirty body, he vanishes. He can't go on.

He doesn't want to...

_Alenko... Alenko!, Alenko get up!..._

"... Lieutenant Alenko!, wake up already, Lieutenant!". A woman's voice brought him back to the nightmare.

"What, who?..."

Kaidan Alenko opened his eyes, confused and not remembering how it was that he'd come to be in the place he was. Stood up, trying to combat the shock. Circumstances came to his mind quickly, though for a time he didn't recognize the place. Some old abandoned room, he later identified as a hidden accessory. As he looked around, recognizing the trinkets cast aside despite the darkness around him, got the idea of how he had arrived there. Through his mind flashed a short sequence of images:

The perilous journey through one of the most treacherous of Omega districts. Zaeed fulminating a scout party, without any other help than the old rifle he called "Jessie", which they recovered along with their other weapons, in haste. The times they had to hide from the various Mantis assault ships patrolling the district. The pleas of the salarian Haalaka, asking to be let go, promising that he would never cross their path again. And the steeled negative of the girl Janice.

After an hour, they had arrived near the previously agreed evac point. They had to draw on all the firepower the "Cyclone" ride armor, Captain Dante brought with him to do so. They even gave themselves the luxury of shooting down a Mantis ship with an available salvo of micro-missiles. That had taught the mercenaries they were hunting dangerous prey. But the resources they could draw on, coupled with the surplus staff provided by Aria T'Lok, were definitely a force to be reckoned. Overwhelmed by superior numbers of the enemy, even advanced technology had helped them little.

They were fleeing, pursued by security robots and more ships, when the Recon Beta supposedly waiting at the extraction point reached them, reducing several of their pursuers to scraps with the weapons on board, and giving them valuable breathing seconds:

"[Miss Janice: There is a gap between buildings like one klick away, in your direction!. We'll meet you there!...]", the ultra-line communication came directly to the headset of the robot . "[...But you need to hurry. We've detected a giant enemy contingent, half a klick of your position and quickly approaching... wait!. Incoming communication from the "Ark Angel". Alfa priority. Redirecting and re-encrypting...]", said one of the Valverde twins while the transport turned away towards the evac point.

Janice waved at them, ordering to keep watch, as she walked away a little and received the encrypted message. Her features didn't alter when she was receiving info or evaluating situations, but Alenko reached a glimpse of a face, he couldn't say for sure whether it represented discomfort or concern. Once she returned with them, suggested to continue down the main street of the district. It was the quickest way out, but the most insecure one. They ran without resting, dragging their miseries in some extra effort. Three hundred meters later, however, under a group of dilapidated buildings, the mercenaries caught up:

_Damn..._ Alenko's head was filled with familiar feelings at that moment: The sight of shots crashing into the walls, the heat generated by his tense body and the howling of the Blood Pack-trained varren, rapidly gaining ground.

_Here I am again!. Just like eight years ago!..._

"Captain Dante!...", the voice of the purple-haired girl, above the sound of gunfire and the frantic screams of their pursuers, sounded as clear as one he'd heard at the time:

"Your orders are to take the salarian Haalaka and Lieutenant Alenko to the "Ark Angel". I'm also offering support to Mr. Massani, to get out of here... I'll keep the enemy occupied and buy you time to reach the extraction point!", she said pointing into the distance, where the ship waited. At Angelo's protest, which began to emerge from his lips, she added:

"Otherwise, none of us will live!". She quickly checked the charge and adjusted the strap of the Galant rifle to her body.

"That's fine by me!, things here are going to get ugly real fast!", added Zaeed, throwing an incendiary grenade at a group of soldiers trying to sneak through the left.

"Why splitting?, we can all get to the ship. We just have to...", Kaidan began, but the girl interrupted him:

"Negative. They'll reach us before we go a hundred meters if someone doesn´t delay them", shouted as she left cover and opened fire on the main group. A batarian and a human fell, struck by rifle shots, electric charges flowing from their ruined armor before the rest of the opponents could take cover.

"You can't stay alone to face them!", shouted the Sentinel, firing blindly over the cover, while trying to make her change her mind at all costs. He was fully aware of how it all could end and he didn't want to go through it a second time.

"The lass is right...", Zaeed grumbled, as he filled a suicidal Krogan coursing to them, with shots of the sniper rifle, then grabbing the Sentinel's arm to pull him. Angelo was already out, launching the last rockets of the "Cyclone" and moving towards the evac point, taking the coward Haalaka by the arm, sheltered by the covering fire of the others.

"I'm not leaving!", the Alliance soldier insisted, getting free of the old man.

"My orders have changed, Lieutenant Alenko. You have accomplished your mission and there's no need for you to join me in this new endeavor", the voice of the woman arrived cold and patient. It enraged the young man.

"I'll stay anyway!. I´m sorry if this offends you, but I´m sure you won´t be able of dealing with such a horde on your own..."

Zaeed was about to intervene, but gave up when he saw Janice nodding to leave them. Nobody else mentioned anything. Dante only shrugged and threw a package of supplies, the female didn't refuse.

A second later both decoys started shooting while their companions moved toward the extraction area. The scouts of Eclipse and the rest of the Blood Pack both quickly fell on them, however Alenko put to good use his biotic and sabotage abilities. In a matter of minutes they had driven them back. In the distance, they heard the turbines of the Beta, a sure sign the air transport was taking off:

"Lt. Rush: I´ll contact you for safe evac soon, once I 've accomplished my orders", the gynoid mentioned over her communicator.

"[Understood. Good Luck. Over and out...]"

The siege increased in intensity, when the enemy began to use rocket launchers to destroy their cover. They decided for a tactical retreat. While Janice used her particle weapon with the same skill Zaeed used the sniper rifle, Kaidan ran into the buildings. The others used grenades, flamethrowers and other heavy weapons to hunt them, several of them neutralized thanks to the marvelous aim the girl possessed. Then Alenko gave cover to his companion with some stasis powers and they moved further away. Spent some eternal ten minutes escaping. Finally, fortune favored them when they managed to confound their pursuers, finding their current shelter.

After checking the place and making sure they wouldn't be found easily, Janice decided that they should rest a little.

_And now we're here..._

"Aside of the burn from earlier, which is healing quickly thanks to the medicine I've applied, you are in good condition", said the girl standing by his side and slightly auscultating his wound, something which caused discomfort in the young man.

_In spite of all..._ thought the soldier and added, this time aloud:

"Didn't know you had medical knowledge beyond first aid?."

"I can be full of surprises, Lieutenant. And I think you would appreciate this". She extended a metal canteen, with the symbol of the Systems Alliance engraved on the side.

"My energy drink!". The young man swiftly opened the container, to get a drink. The drink was a mixture of different restorative elements, of the most advanced food technology Earth could offer. The effort to create mass effect fields strained the human body as only an endurance test could do, and biotics knew it quite well. It was a common joke, saying they were the most undervalued high-performance athletes of the galaxy.

He took a second sip of the potent energy drink. Janice commented the Expeditionary Force had analyzed the contents of the flask he always carried, replicating the drink after a thorough analysis and adding a pair of alien components that helped accelerate his metabolic breakdown, providing a faster assimilation, although some adverse reaction might still occur. The young man decided that the risk was worth it, to hydrate himself and recover lost nutrients and protein. The force returned significantly to his body, as he saw Janice stand up and look around. They seemed to have shaken off their pursuers, but with Omega´s mercenary corporations, he could never be sure.

"Are we still being looked for?", asked the young soldier. The soldiers of fortune, especially the Blue Suns, could be very persistent. Almost like the old hunting hounds of Earth. Should they fall into their hands, it was better to think about resisting the invariable torture they would make use of.

"Yes. Although so far it hasn´t occurred to them look for us here. I'm intercepting their communications however, and a large "S&D" contingent is approaching. So we're going to have to move soon", she said, leaning against an old armchair and smiling.

Alenko looked at her a moment and just happened to laugh. His mind had been invaded by the sudden memory of another female whom he knew in similar circumstances. Now that memory overlapped itself with reality. But such a sudden appearance was only a matter of a moment. A ghost that vanished in the mist of time.

"What are you laughing at?", asked the purple hair without aggression, but perplexed, wondering exactly what was it that his partner thought was funny. Kaidan kept smiling.

"A memory", he mentioned and said nothing more. The gynoid scored his reaction and made a mental note that she should study the reactions of his companion more thoroughly.

They got up and checked their supplies and ammunition. Alenko dared to ask:

"So what are those new orders that force you to stay here, on such bad timing, if I may ask?"

"That's classified".

It was all the answer he got.

"Oh come on, are you also going to play the game of secrecy?".

The girl smiled, her eyes shining like those of a pleased lover:

"You have no idea, Mr. Alenko. Were I to tell you, i´d probably have to kill you..." She then laughed with impudence. Kaidan thought that despite all, things were within that "a-little-crooked" normalcy, that was the behavior of his partner.

Gathered all the supplies within grasp. Janice took the bag Angelo had left her, and got a kind of small silver vehicle, a cross between a remote control toy and a combat drone. She programmed a few things and then let it go. So waited a few minutes, until they heard explosions and cries of alarm. Later these went away. The girl decided it was a good time to get away from the den and carefully peered through a window. When no one was found near the place, she made a sign to the Alliance soldier and both took to the streets, careful of remaining stationary for long.

Kaidan activated his omnitool and using the built-in ladar, saw the signs of the enemy going away. Scratched his head in incomprehension:

"You look surprised, Lieutenant. Did you think they were going to jump us, as soon as we went out?"

"Yes... did that toy you set to work had to do something with it?"

The gynoid said nothing and smiled, moving away as she did. Then waved to the confused earthling, that could only follow her, stumbling by.

Ten minutes later they had put distance between themselves and the search patrols. Kaidan looked at her with suspicion and concern. The young biotic was intrigued by the fact that her friend seemed intensely concentrated, as if her mind was a thousand miles away from her body. They came to a wall of rock, which belonged to the original asteroidal body of the space station. As the man watched for enemies, she looked between the walls until she found what she expected. A series of air ducts running to another area of the station. They went inside the ducts rapidly, being assailed by the stench of burned fuel, rubbish and gasses circulating around. It wasn´t lethal, but definitely unfriendly.

For the next twenty minutes, the situation continued like that, with the purple-haired girl lost in her silence, breathing with the help of an osmotic mask and sporting a face of intense concentration. Something that gave him the creeps. Tired of such a proceeding, decided he wouldn´t give another step until getting some answers:

"Well, alright!...", the biotic stopped on a fairly wide tube combination, dry enough and slightly less smelly than the rest, to stop and rest his back on one of the walls:

"What is going on Janice?..."

She stopped and sat on the opposite wall near another T-conjunction. Unknown to his interlocutor, the robot was internally pondering what was the best route forward, checking the Omega maps, she had found among Haalaka files.

"Hey! ...", the Alliance soldier insisted "...alright!. Distracting the guards with the toy was a very good trick. I admit!. And the way you intimidated Captain Dante a while ago...!", he whistled loudly. "Let´s not talk about what you told the quarian woman. You´ve made abundantly clear that you´re a woman of significant resources... but now it seems as if the whole weight of the galaxy is coming down on your shoulders all of a sudden. Maybe it's none of my business, but you seem different from the girl I've spent the last eight hours with!. Also, if you don´t mind, I'd love to know what kind of mess are we getting into!."

The simulacrum turned to him with neutral expression:

"You shouldn´t be getting into this "mess" to begin with, Lieutenant Alenko. I told you to go with the others and don´t risk your life anymore than necessary. As you´ve seen already, I can take care of myself...". The image of the pretty girl had flickered very lightly, for less than a second. A dull mind wouldn´t have ever noticed. To Kaidan, it seemed as if the vapors of the tunnel were playing tricks on his mind, through the filters of his helmet. Debated internally on raising his visor to rub his eyes and remain indifferent. He chose the latter.

"With all due respect, ma´am, but are you always such a bitch?", the young man countered bitterly. Janice had her secrets, many in fact. And she had proved inscrutable. She had told only the least necessary about herself and the mission to work effectively. But that didn´t fit the style of the soldier. As an officer he was used to the secrecy of the orders, and could carry out his mission objectives as long as he trusted the people he was working with. However, the whole mission had thrown little light on who was actually the person who stood beside him and if he could trust her.

"If I was an ungrateful and heartless person, Kaidan... a 'bitch', as you mention... I would say you stayed here to help me, because of an outdated sense of chivalry. A remnant of an old-fashioned macho behavior, I wasn´t even aware it existed at this time. I appreciate the help though, be sure about it. I'm not the 'bitch' you believe me to be...

However, as much as I appreciate the company and the help, I have no moral qualms forcing me or even suggesting that I need to reveal you my goal."

"But you let me stay, instead of insisting to Captain Dante and Massani on taking me back to the ship by force!. Why?."

The girl didn´t answer immediately. She ruffled her hair and closed her eyes in a face that revealed her clear disgust. A minute later, she replied:

"Against all logic, I must say I like you, Lieutenant. Despite your atavistic behavior, I can see that you do and say things honestly. And I like that. You´re a soldier through and through, and for me, used to wear a mask here and there, your personality is... refreshing."

That disarmed the Sentinel. He definitely wasn´t expecting that answer.

"I usually work with Dr. Nichols, a reliable and 'focused-on-his-work' type of person, whose social interactions are few and rather clumsy. From time to time I go to the officer´s hall and have conversations with Captain Grant or his wife. In general, however, few of the soldiers approach me. My opportunities for interaction with my companions are few, and plagued by a sexist tone that i despise above all. However you and your foolproof respect, I like. Guess I can trust you with some things and you won´t betray my confidence."

Kaidan lowered down his face, embarrassed:

"I... overreacted. I'm sorry. I didn´t have any right to push you like that. I understand it's your job and I can´t tell you how to do it. If you won´t tell me anything, okay. Anyway I´ll help you fulfill your mission as long as I...

She cut him off:

"That´s all right, Lieutenant. I'll tell you what little isn´t classified and can be told. Anyway, you have studied many things from us already and once we get back to the 'Ark Angel' you´ll have plenty of time to fit the pieces together:

The ship's sensors have detected a small radiation source, concurrent with what we call 'protoculture'. It appeared nearby, in one of the warehouses, two levels above, a few hundred meters from the place where we stand", the girl invoked a three-dimensional map of the station, coming out of the accoutrements she had brought:

"Since we know the SDF-3, Admiral Hunter´s ship, arrived here on this dimension by accident, we can assume that this signal belongs to some technology of ours. It´s also possible that someone else of our universe had come by mistake, and left supplies or equipment on the premises.

My task is to find the source of the signal and, if it comes from resources of the Expeditionary Force, I must subtract or destroy it. Please understand we can´t allow such advancements in the hands of hostile forces."

"To prevent such developments or weapons from being used against you..."

"That's right. You see, your friend Rankar has been kind enough to provide me maps of service and alternate routes, which few people in Omega know. I also found important info about the whereabouts of the Admiral and his ship, that I have sent along with the salarian to our ship. I must say that your former partner has given me a helpful way to take advantage of our shared affinity for technology...", the woman made a slight gesture and the typical orange flash of an omnitool covered her arm:

"Therefore I don´t need Mr. Massani to guide me anymore... or you for that matter. However, as I said, I appreciate the gesture, however futile it may be."

Kaidan was silent for a moment and after weighing all the things the girl before him had said, he smiled again:

"You were right!.You _ARE_ full of surprises!. Are all the girls in the REF that way?" asked the Sentinel, surprised.

"No. That's part of what makes me unique...", mentioned the apocryphal woman. Then she arose:

"Time to go. I don´t want to stay any longer than necessary in this place... It smells horrible in here!". The girl crumpled in a face gesture, that Alenko thought lovely.

Both continued crawling through the ventilation shafts, for another thirty minutes, up some maintenance corridors and stairs that haven´t been seemingly visited for years. However, something in the previous conversation had troubled the soldier. He couldn´t put a finger on what it was exactly, but it was there. Suddenly he began to ramble, until he could put words to his thoughts:

"More human than the humans..." he muttered.

"Did you say something, Lieutenant?"

"No... nothing... I think we are near the exit."

It was true. The tunnel they were travelling, came to a gigantic hall, wich they crossed to go out to an unguarded clearing, on another level and district of Omega. They moved hastily, scrutinizing every corner and took refuge in what looked like an apartment building, abandoned in a hurry. Its people fearful of being involved in another possible gang war about to explode.

Janice looked at the map. Three hundred meters southeast, until reaching what looked like an abandoned warehouse. There were few to no signs that Aria's henchmen or other mercenary bands were on active duty in that particular area, but it would be better to careful. Moved little by little, checking the corners with caution, until they were in front of the building. The neighborhood was too quiet. Something triggered Kaidan´s gut:

"There's something fishy in all this, don´t you think, Miss Em?"

"If you mean the lack of people guarding the area, I agree. But the protoculture signal is behind those walls...", she pointed to the steel-and-polymer-walled warehouse standing about twenty feet above them. "Either we are to fall into a well planned ambush or the natives really have no idea of what they have stored in there", the robot sentenced.

"It´s possible, but Commander Shepard used to say something about this kind of situations..." Alenko prepared his weapon.

"What did he use to say?", asked the girl, as she checked her weapon load.

"Things don´t become simple anymore". The guy smiled.

"A wise man, that Shepard...".

They looked for an entrance and soon found it in the form of a pipeline that, after tearing the cover apart and squatting to crawl for a few seconds, gave them access to the interior.

The room was dark, the only light that entered the enclosure filtered through the high windows of the building. The inside was filled with square and rectangular boxes, made of composite metals and fibroplastic. Most of them contained various electronic parts and other resources. Janice however, invoked the omnitool she had been given and sought the signal of interest, doing some calculations and adjustments, while Alenko was checking the entrances and corridors in view.

They penetrated deeper and deeper into the warehouse, until they came to a shelf where only an artifact rested. It looked like a silver box with instruments and an electrical oscillation indicator, from which protruded a small antenna. The man saw the face of his companion decomposing into a rictus of surprise:

"A bio-emulator". The voice of the girl had taken an ominous tone that put the willies on the soldier.

"A what?"

"A bio-emulator. REF technology developed to fool the Invid. How did it get here?..."

"The Invid?"

"An alien race with which we aren´t in very good terms... There's something wrong. This device is modified to exactly mimic the protoculture energy signal. The bio-emulators of the REF can´t do that..." The robot stopped for a second and almost immediately turned to the area looking everywhere. Then she turned to the soldier:

"We gotta get out of here..."

"Why?, what about your mission?"

Janice was about to reply, but the view of a character dressed in a dark red cape, coming out of the shadows, made her pause:

"You will come with us, Hybrid..."

Alenko watched the hooded figure moving towards them. At first glance it was taller than his partner, but he couldn´t determine its physique, due to the red-colored cloth, loose down its shoulders like a tunic. What was unmistakable, was the light source in the center of the face. His first reaction was immediate:

"Geth!"

However, something didn´t fit with everything he had seen until then, about those synthetics that had become his enemies. That didn´t stop him, however, of moving towards the figure framing the sights of his gun at it. He pressed the button of the ammo module until it stopped at "tungsten rounds" and pulled the trigger, before his companion could stop him:

"Lieutenant Alenko!"

The heavy tungsten round didn´t reach its intended target. Behind the figure, a kind of metal shield came out of the darkness behind it, blocking every shot. Janice's hand rested over the barrel of the gun, forcing Kaidan to lower it:

"It isn´t a Geth, Lieutenant, although it shares with them the quality of being synthetic. It´s a Haydonite, our current enemy. Things can get quite complicated very quickly. Don´t do anything before I tell you", she mentioned in a calm voice that inspired little confidence in the Sentinel. Kaidan lowered his weapon.

"You´ll come with us for reprogramming", the hooded figure spoke with a voice of electronic quality, devoid of all emotion.

"Has the Awareness also foreseen this?. Last time you tried that, things went wrong for you..." Kaidan became bewildered, when the voice of her companion equaled that of the interloper. The Sentinel turned to her:

"What´s going on, Janice?", he asked, feeling the situation was evolving very quickly for his own liking.

"A minor setback saved you on our previous meeting. But now you don´t have your organic pets to defend you anymore", mentioned the other, without any voice inflection, but meaning all possible bad blood.

Janice said nothing, but Kaidan was left stunned for a moment. The suspicion that had arisen in his mind, and had been silenced for the sake of his mental health, suddenly resurfaced, What it signified, turned out frightening:

"Organic pets?... reprogramming?", was all he managed to say. Janice didn´t answer right away.

"Lieutenant Alenko: Look at me... look at me!", she cried, turning to get him out of his frightened state and face him, watching his visage distorted by a sudden panic:

"No matter what happens from here on out. I won´t let them hurt you. Do you hear me?... we´ll come out of here... together". The woman's tone revealed... anxiety?, fear?, how could he know for sure?. She turned again toward the enemy and raised her Gallant pistol, in defiance:

"I'm not going anywhere!. The Awareness is again wrong in its calculations and by creating me, has caused a situation that it can´t stop!."

"Then, the only answer is to remove you from the equation..."

A second synthetic appeared beside the first, out of the darkness of the cellar. A tremor shook the structure. Alenko distinguished the shield that had protected the creature move up. It was part of something huge, as big as the robots he had seen in the "Ark Angel". He raised his gun and fired at what he guessed was a cockpit, but the shot bounced off the armor, of what was a cross between a gorilla and giant metal praying mantis. It was a larger size than any Destroyer, Neural Node or Geth Colossus he had ever seen.

"Flee Lieutenant!, your weapons are obsolete against this thing!...", heard from behind him. There was the sound of a gunshot and he knew his partner had started her own battle:

"You must return to the "Ark Angel" and warn them!. Go!"

Kaidan said nothing. Invoked his biotic barrier and ran away from the center of the building. Just in time. The sound of metal boxes being crushed invaded his ears. That thing was trying to reach for him and in the process was knocking down the ceiling of the warehouse. He walked away several meters, using his biotics to open a hole in the walls of the storeroom and out of the building. Walked away from the dust and metal chips, while his barrier protected him from the falling fibroplastic debris of the building. He lost sight of Janice as he ran. A shot bounced off his shield, overloading its capacity. Sparks leaped from his armor, a sure sign the barriers had been overloaded. Revised the torso and found that his polymer armor had lost a piece that was about twice the size of his fist. Yet, the wound left was superficial. By some miracle he remained almost unscathed. Had he been, not a whole world worth of medigel could have saved him.

The noise of the energy gun of the girl made him aware of her relative position. She was on his left, near what had been the enclosure walls, engrossed in a hand to hand duel of power with the first of those entities, which she had called "Haydonites". At the moment the offender was not more than a cybernetic torso moving at high-speed. The cape had hidden that the construct had no lower limbs of any kind, but levitated. The arms had been replaced by high-powered energy weapons. Their shots, illuminating the darkness with red flashes, were as powerful as discharges of the GARDIAN systems of a frigate, and his partner dodged them with acrobatic moves that a human would have never been able to perform.

_More human than humans... she is not human..._

He silenced his thoughts, focusing on the dangerous present. The sudden sound of metal against metal informed him that the enemy robot had released himself of the remains of the roof that had fallen on top of him. The young man assessed his chances in a jiffy: If he tried to stop that thing from afar, the gun mounted on the chassis would shred him to pieces, no matter how many shields or biotic barriers he´d have been able to invoke. Attacking him on close quarters carried the risk of perishing crushed by the enormous force such contraption deployed. At least it didn´t move too fast, but that was only a small consolation.

He ran away from it, hiding behind a wall. Invoked his omnitool and tried to disable his enemy sensors. He soon discovered it was far more difficult than expected: When trying to break into the software architecture of his opponent, he was left dumbfounded. It didn´t even remotely resemble that of the Geth or anything he´d seen before. A piece of wall falling down to crush him, forced him to move. He soon realized that the second synthetic was tracking him on foot, firing at him with one of those powerful guns of his arms. Dashed to his left, trying to buy time and moving away to an adjacent intersection. The pair of mechanical demons chasing him didn´t seem to mind the constructions which surrounded them, either passing over them, or collapsing them like as if made from wet tissue.

He heard noises and cries to his right and saw that the mercenaries supposedly guarding the area, and conspicuously absent until now, began arriving, guns drawn and ready to destroy the hostiles who were terrorizing the neighborhood. The sight of that monster almost eight meters high couldn´t be ignored. They opened fire on the mech, just slightly denting its internal structure. One of them saw and pointed to him, but the Sentinel used a biotic push to bring him down. He didn´t need another opponent besides those he was already engaged to.

He decided the distraction provided by the others was welcome enough and ran away from the area as fast as he could, while thinking how to cope with his opponents, with the little firepower he carried. Maybe if his biotic skills were stronger biotic, he might do something more...

_Stronger._

Light shone in his eyes all of a sudden. Stopped running and hid in a small alley. Checked his load and quickly changed his weapon´s ammunition setting to "explosive rounds". Took a deep breath and went back to the street. The firepower of the shotgun and the other small arms wouldn´t be enough to stop the robot, but he still had a few tricks up his sleeve. Invoked his barrier again with a mnemonic gesture, just in time to see that his smaller pursuer was still tracking him, while the largest was destroying walls, barricades and the few mercenaries and obstacles in front of it.

He slipped to his right, dodging debris of the other buildings that the mech produced while chasing the enemy. He went quickly into the lobby of a seemingly abandoned multi-floored building, which had been blocked in a hurry, piling box after box of possessions to reinforce the door. Kaidan used the explosive ammunition rounds and broke the door, opening enough of it to let him slip inside. Such nuances weren´t going to stop his pursuers, but the biotic had taken that into account already.

He went speeding up the stairs of the building. He dodged many fleeing civilians assaulted by panic, when they realized the approaching of the big robot by looking through the windows. Still others dug in their apartments and making use of weapons acquired in the ubiquitous black markets of Omega, shot at him, used as they were to deal with thieves and bullies who were an inescapable part of the space station. Fear motivated their actions and, in that situation, neighbors and acquaintances became enemies, or at least suspects. The screams and panic were everywhere, reflected in the form of whining, distrust and paranoia. Some of the locals tried to stop the man, realizing the invasion their lair was suffering, but they could do little. Several shots and uses of his powers at the right times taught them the caliber of Alliance soldier.

Once he got to the third floor, located above the height of the attacker robot, entered the main corridor, firing at several hostiles without give or ask for mercy. The mercenaries, some turians, many more humans and the occasional asari backed down, prioritizing the bigger target over him, and letting the invader move at ease. When Alenko made sure that nobody was going to bother him, he scanned the air a bit, trying to make a familiar scent amid the morass of sweat, smoke and dust. A slightly sweet and repulsive smell, halfway between a woman's perfume and the smell of the sea. It only took him a moment to place it and when he did, he entered one of the closed apartments, breaking down the door with a kick. There in a corner, huddled against an inside wall, was one hanar, lamely wielding a gun. The Sentry disarmed him before the other could react and then asked:

"Where do you have the 'Red Sand'?".

He aimed at him regardless. The huge flying jellyfish paled visibly.

"Wh-why a-are y-you as-asking th-this one?. This one do-does not se-sell..."

"Damn it, where is it?!"

Kaidan released him, and proceeded to open the cupboards, checking boxes and frantically searching:

_Where is it?!, there has to be some around!_

A tremor shook the structure and made it stagger, product of the enemy robot shaking the building. He strongly grabbed of one of the walls, to avoid falling to the ground. Boxes and other supplies fell, spilling its contents by. The hanar, a rarity in the Terminus systems, seized the moment to float away terrified, as fast as his repulsors would allow. It was then that he saw what he was looking, on the back of where the alien had been floating. A group of bags of blood-red powder, finely ground. Immediately took one of them and hurried out of there, heading for the stairs again, dodging the falling of debris the besieged structure was suffering.

Upon reaching the door of the stairwell, an explosion propelled him back. Fell back and rolled a little stunned, but the adrenaline in his body made him rise almost immediately. He peered out to the door, which was now bent and shabby. Something passed through it, flying at full speed and crashing into a wall at his side. Kaidan pointed its shotgun toward it and glanced sideways to see what had fallen near him. It was a krogan, as dead as the hanar who had occupied the room, whom he discovered inert beside. Both he and the other occupants of the flat, whom he had dispatched moments ago, like some others, were dead. The big lizard's face was shattered, though disfigured by its half was a more accurate description. A huge gap, covering nearly thirty percent of his body and giving off waste heat, adorned it. There were very few things that could do such damage to one of the most resilient races of the galaxy.

He heard noises coming from the door, overlapping the mechanical sound of the battle outside. Kaidan tuned his aim.

And then THAT penetrated.

It was his pursuer, yet it was not. The torso without arms and legs that started shooting at him on the streets, had been transformed. It had acquired legs and arms of steel, titanium or some clearly hyper-reinforced material, with a vaguely humanoid figure, that the young man couldn´t identify. They glowed with light red fretwork, which delineated its contour and gave the smoke coming from behind him, a hellish air. It looked like and ergonomic body armor, tightly fitting the body of the fighter. But that was all the similarity with the organics it had acquired. The head had been strengthened to form a semi-circle, in which the same fretwork was visible in streaks of light running perpendicular to the length of the hull. There was no sign of eyes or mouth beyond the red light viewer he had seen the first time, that made him much resemble the Geth so much, now framed by a reinforced mask. The hands and arms of the torso appeared and disappeared, as if the human eye failed to recognize them properly.

Kaidan hesitated a moment, and that was enough for his opponent to become aware of their presence. It seemed he could see through the smoke from the room. He pointed an arm that swiftly reformed, as if thousands of small parts in it unfolded and were remade in the barrel of a fearsome-looking weapon. From behind the new threat came a asari, wrapped in the blue aura of power that characterized them, no doubt trying to hit him. The synthetic reacted with overwhelming speed, striking her down from the front with a shot of energy to her face that enveloped all her head and made it disappear. The body fell to the ground, limp and lifeless.

The doubt disappeared from the mind of the Sentinel. He relentlessly fired several rounds of explosive ammunition, hitting the machine squarely in the torso and the bottom of the head. The figure leaned a moment, as if surprised by the power of the shots. A piece of armor was blown to pieces, but the synthetic was still standing. Alenko saw the armor of his opponent promptly repair itself, as if thousands of spiders suddenly began to weave their webs with silver strands, and knew he had to move. He jumped up just in time to dodge the shot of the other, but couldn´t prevent the blow that came after making him fly to the end of the corridor, where he crashed miserably.

The adrenaline in his body made him recover quickly, injecting him with vigor. But the punch of his enemy clouded his vision for a split second and made him drop the gun. Instead of looking for it, he invoked his barrier and lunged at his opponent, giving him a biotic kick, which made him lose balance for a moment. The Haydonite however, recovered quickly and gave him a push, followed by a kick that sent him away, over the nearest the window, outside of the building. The young man landed head on the ground, nine meters below, a short distance from where the assault robot was tearing the building. He got up and walked away reflexively, taking several steps, but suddenly stopped. His head was spinning and he couldn´t focus his eyes. Had it not been for his barrier, his helmet and his intense concentration, he would have split his skull. He was dazed and disoriented. And he couldn´t run effectively, but stopping the threats pursuing him was becoming an increasingly remote option.

His opponent emerged from the smoke that began to invade that level from the space station. His menacing figure jumping down the building with a terrible roar, ready to finish his task. Nearby, the enemy mercenaries tried to balance the scales firing rockets, grenades and other explosives at the mech, trying to make it deviate from less affected areas and showing what little they could do to stop it.

Alenko crouched, ready to sell his life dearly. The Haydonite was advancing on him, when a shot made him tilt his head. A second biotic power blasted him down, giving the young Sentinel a few seconds of valuable time. Behind him new mercenaries had arrived. From Eclipse probably, judging by the yellow armor and the accompanying security droids, 'shooting to kill' on the synthetic. The defense of the robot, however, was still higher than the firepower used against him. Volley after volley of biotic powers pushed him back, and several shots, bursts of incineration, grenades and drones fell on him in an attempt to weaken his armor. After a few seconds, the warrior determined that enough was enough and started to answer the fire. Some shots to his right and left, of that damned powerful gun and the operatives were already running to take shelter behind some barricades and walls.

Kaidan slipped away without attracting much attention, as he watched the other back down a bit, thanks to the rockets of a couple of security robots of the newest 'Ymir' model. As the largest robot jumped on them and reduced them to junk, thanks to his enormous strength, the young Sentinel recalled the package he found in the building and without anymore doubts, broke it, spilling much of the content in his right hand, raising the visor of his helmet and breathing heavily the fine red dust.

He already knew the illegal drug known as 'Red Sand'. He had experienced its effects, during one of his several works in Omega, when he was part of Commander Dietler´s team. That had ended with a terrible headache and vomiting for three days. The substance was highly popular in the Terminus Systems, because it was able to increase for a few hours the biotic potential, making even zero-potential subjects manifest powers, though on a smaller scale. For those proven biotics carrying the powerful - yet highly noxious - L2 implants like his, their potential increased exponentially with a dose. But too much of it could affect their nervous and circulatory systems. He could die of a stroke by increasing the blood pressure in his body, turning him a bloody and shapeless mess. That of course, if the rattles and the intense pain didn´t annihilate him first. Taking the drug was as dangerous as wielding a double-edged sword.

But the present circumstances wouldn´t allow him any other options.

As the chemical entered his body, a spasm shook him. Reactions on the receiver varied, but were generally notoriously violent. His perception suddenly changed, as if noticing things around him starting to dilate. The euphoria would soon come, but Alenko hoped he would be finishing the battle before the effect of mental dullness affected him. He rose quickly, adrenaline and a sudden rush of energy in his body urging him. He also noted a brief trickle of blood on his nose, which he wiped with the back of his hand. So far the artificial construct hadn´t noticed him or had considered him defeated, but as soon as he got up, it pointed one of his hands to him, while using the other to fire a laser burst at mercenary, frying him completely. Kaidan didn´t think twice and attacked.

First a biotic lifting made his opponent crash to the ground, followed by a shove that shot it to the fallen building, causing several walls to collapse. At her new strength, a beacon of hope flashed through his mind:

I can win this battle!...

The other however, was not going to give up so easily. It left the rubble where it had fallen and with quickly shot a few bursts towards Kaidan, who moved to the side to dodge the shots. The synthetic ran to the Sentinel, who received him catching it with both arms. Man and machine grappled for a second, using all the force they could muster, without giving the slightest ground. The parity of forces was balanced and none of them was giving in an inch from their place. The machine however, could still deploy more strength and gradually the Alliance man realized he was losing ground. Used the force of his opponent to throw him back as if it were a catapult. The robot flew through the air and fell back, the soldier activating his power to crash him on the floor. At landfall however the robot recovered, using one of his arms to spin like a top and the other to release some discharges that Alenko narrowly dodged.

_Damn!_

Kaidan concentrated, making the mnemonic gesture to invoke his "stasis" power and countered. Launched the mass effect field just in time, as his opponent was about to fire a second time. The robot stood still, paralyzed by the field the young man had invoked. Then the soldier felt a deep twinge in his head...

_Damn it, not now!_

Some of the problems of being a biotic in the epoch the Alliance had established the training program was that the L2 receivers implanted, caused terrible damage to their hosts. He was one of the most fortunate in that regard, because only some migraines besieged him, few of them disabling. Most L2 biotics felt crippling pain and suffered from mental disorders. Their careers in the military lasted little. And now, with the effect of the 'Red Sand' in his body, the pain would increase exponentially. The man clenched his teeth and focused."Hold on!", mumbled to himself, struggling with the headache, which was beginning to feel as if he had his skull split with a sword.

_If your opponent's armor is a hindrance, tear it apart!,_ was what he thought he heard in his mind, coming from his late biotic instructor. Kaidan concentrated, despite the crippling pain and called forth the Warp technique he had been taught, throwing it into the chest of his opponent.

Upon impact, a reaction happened however, that the Alliance didn´t expect. Maybe it was the residual energy of all the biotic impacts accumulated in the armor of his opponent. Maybe it was a chain reaction of mass effect fields on some basic element of the alien. He would never be able to say for certain. A burst of bright blue exploded, and his opponent's body became twisted, as if someone was twisting a rag in opposite directions from both sides. The synthetic fell to the ground, shattered armor, arm and leg destroyed. The light went out of the luminous streaks as its body began to fail. Part of what was the helmet was utterly destroyed and the inside could be seen. Electronic circuits of enormous complexity, throwing sparks and burning. The Haydonite tried to move, only to find that it´s systems didn´t work well. Interestingly enough, the man couldn´t hear anymore the screams of the civilians, nor the firing of mercenaries and neither the destructive steps of the bigger robot. With a half blurred vision, the young Sentinel saw someone approach the fallen synthetic. The other was raising the only operative arm he still had to attack, but the person stepped onto it quickly, holding it firmly against the ground. Then took another stomp and the battered helmet was crushed. The whole body went rigid, without any signs of conciousness.

Kaidan couldn´t do anything more. The pain in his head was killing him. He could not focus his eyes and the light sources caused him more pain. He would gladly let someone crush his brain, provided that ended the intense hell he was experiencing. He dropped to his knees and fell to the floor in ventral position, quietly praying for someone to bring him a painkiller.

Someone lifted him and he opened his eyes. Next to him was Janice.

"Rushed heartbeat, dilated pupils, intense reactions in various parts of the cerebral cortex, pain, nosebleed... Lieutenant Alenko!, what have you done?..."

Kaidan smiled a moment, battered as he was.

"What happened... to the giant... robot?"

"It stopped moving, when I finished him". She said, pointing to the body of what had been their enemy.

Suddenly the young man realized. His eyes weren´t deceiving him - and the red sand could cause euphoria, but not hallucinations -. His companion's face was appearing and disappearing, replaced by a strange face, metallic... similar to that of his fallen foe.

In a word: Synthetic.

Panic suddenly became a powerful emotion, almost as powerful as the pain he experienced:

"Lieutenant...", commented her, thinking on how to relieve the suffering her teammate was experiencing.

"Stay away... from me", he muttered, while slowly gathering his strength:

"Stay away..."

Janice saw his partner invoke some of his biotic and try to hit her. When the robot dodged, moving away a little, he dragged apart, moving slowly and laboriously. And who could blame him, after the destruction he had seen the Haydonites make?. The gynoid observed the pale face of his companion and then her mental processes were assaulted by something. The strange feeling that she had lost something very important.

She had heard Dr. Lang talk about something called 'ghosts in the machine', in relation to how her new body with Haydonite technology, had the ability to reform its programming to become more adaptable, sometimes creating code structures that amazed him by the strangeness of their effects on her behavior. She hadn´t fully understood what was the origin of such wonder. But now, seeing her companion crawl away from her, seized by an emotion she was designed to mimic with great accuracy, but never to really understand, she realized what it meant. These 'ghosts in the machine' were which had allowed her to feel the full force of that emotion.

Kaidan probably had seen her true appearance, and that meant the soldier wasn´t going to trust her again. Years of mistrust against synthetic intelligences preventing it. It was a risk she had decided to take. Captain Grant and the other commanders knew of the man's distrust towards synthetics, from the info they had recovered from his omnitool. But the chances of behavioral analysis that could be achieved in the mission, outweighed any such mishap. She only hoped and yearned secretly - if artificial intelligences could afford themselves to do that -, she had not alienated her partner forever.

She went to the lieutenant, to lift him, since the young man had passed out from the effort. She was crouching beside him, when the sound of footsteps made her lift her head. A high-powered shot rocked her head, make her spin around and crash down to the ground. Unsuccessfully tried to get up, and her diagnostic programs made her aware of the futility of her efforts. The last thing she saw before her systems entered auto-repair and standby mode, was her reflection in the four black eyes of a batarian, dressed in blue and white armor, with the badge of the Blue Suns in his pads:

"I have just won the Lottery!", shouted the mercenary and turning his omnitool on, barked into the microphone:

"Dispatch... send word to Aria and Tarrak, that Bashar Cathka had just catched the fugitives they were looking for!..."

* * *

In the next chapter:

Jenny Sparks return to the spotlight. And the combined forces of Saren, the Geth and the Haydonites unleash hell on the Citadel!.

See you around.


End file.
